Clinical characteristics and efficacy of bronchoscopic intervention for tracheobronchial leiomyoma.
OBJECTIVE
This study reports the clinical characteristics, efficacy and safety of bronchoscopic treatment of patients with tracheobronchial leiomyoma.


METHODS
A retrospective study of 10 patients with tracheobronchial leiomyoma who underwent bronchoscopic intervention between 2000 and 2007 at a single centre, documenting the clinical characteristics, treatment method and outcomes.


RESULTS
Seven men and three women were studied. The median age at diagnosis was 47 years (range 17-66). The most frequent symptoms were cough (n = 5) and dyspnoea (n = 4). The lesions were in the trachea in two patients, the right bronchi in six, and the left bronchi in two. On chest CT, the most frequent findings were a tracheobronchial mass without parenchymal lesion (n = 7). The tumours were removed by neodymium-yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser treatment by rigid bronchoscopy under general anaesthesia (n = 9) and with flexible bronchoscopy under local (n = 1) anaesthesia. Two patients eventually underwent surgical resection because of late tumour recurrence at 16 months, after the bronchoscopic intervention, in one patient, and incomplete removal by bronchoscopic intervention in another patient. In eight of ten patients who were successfully treated by the bronchoscopic intervention, the clinical outcome was good during the median follow-up period of 24.5 months. There were no procedure-related mortalities or late complications.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with a tracheobronchial leiomyoma usually present with non-specific respiratory symptoms and an endobronchial mass without parenchymal lesions. Bronchoscopic intervention is a safe and effective technique for the treatment of patients with a tracheobronchial leiomyoma.
Kwon
Yong Soo
YS
Department of Internal Medicine, Chonnam National University Hospital, Gwangju, Korea.
Kim
Hojoong
H
Koh
Won-Jung
WJ
Suh
Gee Young
GY
Chung
Man Pyo
MP
Kwon
O Jung
OJ
Han
Joungho
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001984:Bronchial Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D001999:Bronchoscopy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007889:Leiomyoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014134:Tracheal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult