Bronchial stenosis after aspiration of an iron tablet.

Stenosis of the right intermediate bronchus was found in a 60-year-old woman four months after aspiration of an iron tablet. Right middle and lower lobe lobectomies were performed. By light microscopy, small amounts of foreign, iron-positive material surrounded by giant cells, large collections of hemosiderin containing macrophages, and severe fibrosis with only minimal inflammation were observed in the bronchial wall. Early diagnosis and management are stressed in order to avoid the stenosing process which is also possible after aspiration of some tablets.