Paul Baxter was both relieved and confused when doctors at the respiratory clinic in Preston, England gave him the news.
Baxter, a father of two, had been struggling with a cough that lasted more than a year, according to BBC. The doctors did a scan of his lungs and saw a dark mass. Baxter was a chronic smoker so it was assumed
to be a tumor. When they performed the bronchoscopy the doctors were surprised at what they found.
Picture: BMJ
A small Playmobil traffic cone was lodged in the lining of his lungs. “I have been told that I must have inhaled it for it to go into my windpipe. If I had swallowed it, it would have gone into my stomach and out the other end,” said Baxter.
The cone came from a Christmas gift that he received when he was 7 year old. It had been inside of him for roughly 40 years. Doctors are amazed at the delay in symptoms. Experts think because Baxter was so young when he swallowed the traffic cone, over the years his lungs were able to grow and adapt around the cone.
According to the medical journal, BMJ Case Reports, “…this is the first reported case of a tracheobronchial foreign body that was overlooked for 40 years.”
“It has come out in perfect working order, you can even still see the markings,” said Paul Baxter, who now keeps it as a souvenir.
Picture: SWNS
