A handyman was suspected to have cancer after doctors found a mass in his lungs

A handyman was suspected to have cancer after doctors found a mass in his lungs - only to discover it was a toy cone he inhaled as a child.

The 47-year-old patient, whose name is unknown, complained of coughing up yellow mucus and feeling unwell for little over a year. He sought help from doctors.

Scans showed a mass in his lungs, which consultants assumed was a sign of cancer due to him having smoked for three decades. They urgently referred him to hospital.

During a procedure to inspect his airway, medics discovered the mass to be a traffic cone from a Playmobil set, which the British man ingested 40 years ago.

Doctors writing in BMJ Case Reports have dubbed him a medical mystery, due to the length of time that passed without him displaying any symptoms.

The 47-year-old patient, whose name is unknown, complained of coughing up yellow mucus and feeling unwell for little over a year. He sought help from doctors. Scans showed a mass in his lungs, which consultants assumed was cancer due to him having smoked for three decades

They wrote: 'To our knowledge this is the first reported case of a tracheobronchial foreign body that was overlooked for 40 years.'

The bronchoscopy was performed at the Royal Preston Hospital after the patient was referred due to concerns the lump was a sign of bronchogenic carcinoma.

Soon after having the procedure, the patient revealed he regularly played with and even swallowed pieces of Playmobil growing up.