title: A clinical study of tracheobronchopathia osteochondroplastica: findings from a large Chinese cohort.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Tracheobronchopathia osteochondroplastica (TO) is an uncommon disease of the tracheobronchial system that leads to narrowing of the airway lumen from cartilaginous and/or osseous submucosal nodules. The aim of this study is to perform a detailed review of this rare disease in a large cohort of patients with TO proven by fiberoptic bronchoscopy from China.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective chart review was performed on 41,600 patients who underwent bronchoscopy in the Department of Respiratory Medicine of Changhai Hospital between January 2005 and December 2012. Cases of TO were identified based on characteristic features during bronchoscopic examination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  22 cases of bronchoscopic TO were identified. Among whom one-half were male and the mean age was 47.45±10.91 years old. The most frequent symptoms at presentation were chronic cough (n = 14) and increased sputum production (n = 10). Radiographic abnormalities were observed in 3/18 patients and findings on computed tomography consistent with TO such as beaded intraluminal calcifications and/or increased luminal thickenings were observed in 18/22 patients. Patients were classified into the following categories based on the severity of bronchoscopic findings: Stage I (n = 2), Stage II (n = 6) and Stage III (n = 14). The result that bronchoscopic improvement was observed in 2 patients administered with inhaled corticosteroids suggested that resolution of this disease is possible.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TO is a benign disease with slow progression, which could be roughly divided into 3 stages on the basis of the characteristic endoscopic features and histopathologic findings. Chronic inflammation was thought to be more important than the other existing plausible hypotheses in the course of TO. Inhaled corticosteroids might have some impact on patients at Stage I/II.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Hai-Dong
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Yu-Chao
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Qin-Ying
authors.initials: QY
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Qin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D001982:Bronchial Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010009:Osteochondrodysplasias / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy; D011859:Radiography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014133:Tracheal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones