ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the clinical significance of abnormal bronchi originating from the trachea or main bronchi. METHODS: 21 patients (male:female ratio, 13:8; mean age, 58.2 years, range 34-77), who were diagnosed with major tracheobronchial anomalies by bronchoscopy from January 2001 to March 2005, were enrolled in this study. The anomalous bronchi consisted of 13 tracheal bronchi and 8 cardiac accessory bronchus. The clinical features, bronchoscopic findings, and outcomes were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: Common symptoms, including hemoptysis, cough and dyspnea, resulted from the underlying lung disease regardless of the bronchial anomalies. In this series of 13 tracheal bronchi, 7 cases originated from the trachea within 1cm of the carina (carinal type) and 6 cases originated at a higher level(tracheal type). Most patients had favorable outcome with conservative treatment for the underlying lung disease. CONCLUSION: Most tracheobronchial anomalies are found incidentally in the process of diagnosing lung disease. The clinical outcome of patients with a bronchial anomaly depends on the underlying lung disease.
Subject(s)
Humans , Bronchi , Bronchoscopy , Cough , Dyspnea , Hemoptysis , Lung Diseases , Retrospective Studies , TracheaABSTRACT
Bridging bronchus (BB) is an extremely rare tracheobronchial anomaly. This anomaly is often associated with a sling left pulmonary artery (SLPA) and is diagnosed in infancy or at autopsy. A 29-year-old female patient with previous history of pulmonary tuberculosis was admitted because of persistent fever, cough and sputum. Fiberoptic bronchoscope and chest computed tomography revealed a bridging bronchus and associated atelectasis. The right middle and lower lobe was supplied by a bronchus which originates from the left main bronchus and bridges the mediastinum. There was no anomaly of a left pulmonary artery. Right middle and lower bilobectomy was performed.
Subject(s)
Adult , Female , Humans , Autopsy , Bronchi , Bronchoscopes , Cough , Fever , Mediastinum , Pulmonary Artery , Pulmonary Atelectasis , Sputum , Thorax , Tuberculosis, PulmonaryABSTRACT
Tracheal bronchus is an aberrant, accessory or ectopic bronchus arising almost invariably from the right lateral wall of the trachea and may be related to inflammatory conditions affecting the lung, including recurrent pneumonia, bronchiectasis. Recently we experienced a case of tracheal bronchus associated with pulmonary actinomycosis. The 37- year-old male patient had suffered recurrent hemoptysis and had been medicated as a presumptive diagnosis of tuberculosis, but either clinical or radiologic improvement was not seen. Right upper lobectomy was performed and pulmonary actinomycosis was confirmed by the histologic examination. Postoperatively, the patient was medicated with penicillin and ampicillin for 3 months and completely recovered without any evidence of recurrence during the 6- month follow-up period.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Actinomycosis , Ampicillin , Bronchi , Bronchiectasis , Diagnosis , Follow-Up Studies , Hemoptysis , Lung , Penicillins , Pneumonia , Recurrence , Trachea , TuberculosisABSTRACT
Tracheal bronchus is a aberrant, accessory or ectopic bronchus arising almost invariably from the right lateral wall of the trachea and may be related to inflammatory conditions affecting the lung, including recurrent pneumonia and bronchiectasis. Recently we experienced a case of tracheal bronchus associated with pulmonary actinomycosis. The 37-year-old male patient had suffered recurrent hemoptysis and had been medicated as a presumptive diagnosis of tuberculosis, but neither clinical nor radiologic improvement was not seen. Right upper lobectomy was performed and pulmonary actinomycosis was confirmed by the histologic examination. Postoperatively, the patient was medicated with penicillin and ampicillin for 3 months and completely recovered without any evidence of recurrence during the 6-month followup period.