title: Dendriform pulmonary ossification.
abstract: Dendriform pulmonary ossification is a rare condition often diagnosed by either surgery or postmortem examination. We report a 43-y-old man with a history of nonproductive cough for 1 y. His physical examination was unremarkable. Chest computed tomography showed multiple bilateral micronodules in both lower lobes; however, the patient's pulmonary function was normal. Flexible bronchoscopy with transbronchial biopsies revealed branching ossification. Pulmonary ossification is a chronic process characterized by progressive metaplastic ossification. We reviewed a total of 42 cases of dendriform pulmonary ossification reported in the medical literature: most of these cases were diagnosed by autopsy. Despite its rarity, dendriform pulmonary ossification should be considered in the differential diagnosis of diffuse lung disease. Bronchoscopy with transbronchial biopsies must be considered as a potential diagnostic procedure.
authors.affiliation: Division of Interventional Pulmonology sfernandezbussy@alemana.cl.
authors.forename: Sebastián
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fernández-Bussy
authors.affiliation: Division of Internal Medicine, Pontifical Catholic University, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Gonzalo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Labarca
authors.affiliation: Division of Pathology.
authors.forename: Yumay
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Pires
authors.affiliation: Division of Radiology, Clínica Alemana, Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Juan Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Díaz
authors.affiliation: Division of Interventional Pulmonology.
authors.forename: Iván
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Caviedes
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy; D001999:Bronchoscopy; D002677:Chile; D003371:Cough / Q000209:etiology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009999:Ossification, Heterotopic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D035583:Rare Diseases
keywords: bronchoscopy; diffuse lung disease; lung disease; ossification