Doctors suspect lung tumour in 72-year-old with chronic cough, find tooth lodged in airway

Doctors suspected a lung tumour in a 72-year-old man with a persistent cough but found a tooth stuck in his airway.

A 72-year-old man who had been struggling with a persistent cough and repeated chest infections was feared to have a tumour in his lung. But when doctors examined the suspicious growth, they found a human tooth lodged deep inside his airway, apparently for nearly three years.

A man endured years of respiratory problems before doctors found a tooth he had accidentally inhaled three years earlier. (Representational image generated using AI)

The unusual case was detailed in a report published on October 31, 2026, in The Egyptian Journal of Bronchology, a journal published by Springer Nature.

The man had experienced several months of coughing up phlegm and recurring lower respiratory tract infections, which had repeatedly been treated with antibiotics. He had cardiovascular disease but no known history of cancer. He also reported no significant weight loss, fever, night sweats or coughing up blood.

Doctors initially suspected a tumour

A CT scan showed a blockage in a small airway in the lower part of his right lung, along with inflammation beyond the obstruction. Doctors initially interpreted the finding as a possible tumour.

They performed a bronchoscopy, using a flexible instrument to look inside the airways. The examination revealed a smooth, reddish growth with prominent blood vessels that completely blocked the affected passage. Its appearance suggested a carcinoid tumour, a type of tumour that can develop in the lungs.

To clear the blockage, doctors began removing the growth with a snare and a cryoprobe, a device that uses freezing to grip tissue. As they removed the inflamed tissue, a hard, white object emerged underneath.

The cryoprobe could not grip its smooth, calcified surface. After several attempts, doctors extracted it using forceps and a retrieval basket. The object turned out to be a human tooth.

Man recalled missing tooth after fainting episode

When questioned again about his medical and dental history, the patient recalled losing a tooth during a fainting episode about three years earlier. He had never suspected that he might have inhaled it.

The researchers believe the tooth entered his airway during that episode and remained there unnoticed, triggering chronic irritation and recurrent infections. They also noted that a dense spot visible on the original CT scan, consistent with the tooth, had initially been overlooked.

Tests on the removed tissue showed inflammation but no evidence of cancer. The man's symptoms improved after the procedure, and a follow-up examination confirmed that the airway had reopened.

Researchers highlighted how inhaled foreign objects can remain undetected in adults for years, sometimes producing growths that closely resemble tumours.