title: A rare bronchial anomaly presenting as a paracardiac mass.
abstract: Abnormal bronchi arising from trachea and main bronchi are rare and usually clinically silent. These bronchial variations, however, pose a significant diagnostic challenge related to their variable presentation and perhaps the low level of awareness among clinicians and radiologists. Complications including recurrent infections, hemoptysis, and rarely malignancies may arise, if the diagnosis is delayed. We came across a patient with chronic cough in whom endoscopic and imaging evaluation, including fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC), proved non-diagnostic. Thorough evaluation of multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) performed in our department, however, revealed an accessory cardiac bronchus with rudimentary lung parenchyma in the paracardiac location. This case highlights the importance of meticulous airway evaluation on MDCT in all patients referred with respiratory symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiodiagnosis and Imaging & Department of Respiratory Medicine, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana, India.
authors.forename: Pankaj
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiodiagnosis and Imaging & Department of Respiratory Medicine, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana, India.
authors.forename: Mahesh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Prakash
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiodiagnosis and Imaging & Department of Respiratory Medicine, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana, India.
authors.forename: Ashutosh Nath
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Aggarwal
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiodiagnosis and Imaging & Department of Respiratory Medicine, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana, India.
authors.forename: Niranjan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Khandelwal
keywords: Accessory cardiac bronchus; bronchial anomaly; computed tomography