[False images of endobronchial tumor in CT-scan]. / Falsas imágenes de tumoración endobronquial por tomografía computarizada.

Bronchoscopic identification of an endobronchial foreign body is an unexpected finding in adults. Modern imaging techniques such as computerised tomography (CT) may identify bronchial obstruction but not the cause. Moreover, images may be suggestive of other pathologies, especially when the previous aspiration cases are unknown. The most common CT findings in this setting are atelectasis, lung hyperlucency, localised bronchiectases and lobar consolidation. CT diagnosis of false endobronchial tumors in patients who have swallowed a foreign body is rarely described in the bibliography. In view of the potential adverse outcome in the case of wrong diagnosis we consider it is of interest to report two cases of endobronchial tumors diagnosed by CT in which flexible bronchoscopy allowed identification and extraction of an endobronchial foreign body.

Falsas imágenes de tumoración endobronquial por tomografía computarizada / False images of endobronchial tumor in CT-scan

La identificación mediante broncoscopia de uncuerpo extraño endobronquial es a menudo unhallazgo no esperado entre los adultos. Enocasiones, las más modernas técnicas de imagen,como la tomografía computarizada (TC), aunquepueden identificar la ocupación bronquial, nopermiten reconocer su naturaleza e incluso puedensimular otro tipo de patologías, sobre todo cuandose desconoce el antecedente de aspiración. Loshallazgos más habituales en la TC suelen ser lasatelectasias, la hiperclaridad pulmonar, lasbronquiectasias localizadas y la consolidación lobar.El falso diagnóstico de tumoración endobronquialpor TC, en sujetos que han sufrido la aspiración deun cuerpo extraño, se halla muy poco referido en laliteratura. Dadas las repercusiones pronósticas quepuede acarrear un diagnóstico incorrecto nos parecede interés reportar dos casos diagnosticados porTC de tumoración endobronquial y en los que lafibrobroncoscopia permitió la identificación y laextracción del cuerpo extraño endobronquial

Bronchoscopic identification of an endobronchialforeign body is an unexpected finding in adults.Modern imaging techniques such as computerisedtomography (CT) may identify bronchial obstructionbut not the cause. Moreover, images may besuggestive of other pathologies, especially when theprevious aspiration cases are unknown. The mostcommon CT findings in this setting are atelectasis,lung hyperlucency, localised bronchiectases andlobar consolidation. CT diagnosis of falseendobronchial tumors in patients who haveswallowed a foreign body is rarely described in thebibliography. In view of the potential adverseoutcome in the case of wrong diagnosis we considerit is of interest to report two cases of endobronchialtumors diagnosed by CT in which flexiblebronchoscopy allowed identification and extractionof an endobronchial foreign body