title: Bridging bronchus: Importance of recognition on airway endoscopy.
abstract: Bridging bronchus is an anomalous bronchus, which crosses the mediastinum from the contralateral mainstem bronchus and it is commonly associated with congenital great vessel abnormalities. This is a case report of an infant that underwent airway endoscopy and attempt at cannulation of a mainstem bronchus with supposed bronchial cast after cardiac surgery in the intensive care unit. After multiple failed attempts, further workup was completed which revealed a bridging bronchus. A bridging bronchus must be suspected in a patient with abnormal appearing endoscopy in presence of great vessel anomalies to prevent accidental injury to the tracheobronchial tree.
authors.affiliation: Head and Neck Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, United States.
authors.forename: Danielle
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gainor
authors.affiliation: Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, United States.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kinzinger
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Pulmonary Department, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, United States.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Carl
authors.affiliation: Head and Neck Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, United States. Electronic address: annes@ccf.org.
authors.forename: Samantha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Anne
mesh_terms: D001980:Bronchi / Q000002:abnormalities*; D001995:Bronchography; D001999:Bronchoscopy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D007223:Infant; D036542:Tomography, Spiral Computed
keywords: Airway abnormality; Bridging bronchus; Bronchoscopy