Regional dietary characteristics and bronchial foreign body: a repeated misdiagnosis caused by a red pepper

Bronchial foreign body is a common health problem worldwide, types of bronchial foreign bodies are variegated, depending on patient age and cultural background including religious beliefs as well as alimentary habits. However, misdiagnoses caused by regional dietary correlation factors were rarely concerned. In this case, a 52-year-old woman with aggravated cough and hemosputum took thoracic CT scan twice and flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy 5 times, which all revealed the chronic pulmonary inflammation. Furthermore, the biopsies showed bronchial granulation nodule formation. With the highly suspicion of tumor, lung lobe resection was conducted. However, from the resected specimen, we belatedly found a red pepper inserted in the bronchus, without tumor cell in postoperative pathological analysis. We reviewed the case, analyzed the potential factors that may led to repeated misdiagnoses, and concluded that regional dietary characteristics and higher clinical suspicion should be seriously under consideration in the process of diagnosis.