title: Primary mucoepidermoid carcinoma at the carina of trachea presenting with wheezing in an asthmatic child mimicking an attack of asthma: A case report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Asthma is a very common disease, but primary tracheal tumors are extremely rare in children. Wheezing is not pathognomonic, but is the typical presentation of asthma and could also be found in patients with tracheal tumors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This report describes a 12-year-old boy with a previous history of frequent asthma attacks and experienced responses to antiasthma treatment. He was admitted to the hospital due to persistent wheezing and progressive dyspnea. Hyperinflation in the bilateral lungs was detected on chest x-ray, but without other significant findings. Chest computed tomography revealed a mass at the carina. Tracheal mucoepidermoid carcinoma was diagnosed by histopathological assessment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite the rarity of tracheal tumors, chest computed tomography scans should be performed in the first place for children presenting persistent wheezing and having poor response to antiasthma treatment to rule out the other alternative diagnosis. Coexistence of other diseases such as tracheal tumor in asthmatic patients should be considered.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Pulmonology, China Medical University Children's Hospital Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Science, College of Health Care, China Medical University Department of Pediatrics, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital School of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University School of Post-Baccalaureate Chinese Medicine, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, China Medical University Children's Hospital Department of Radiology, China Medical University Hospital School of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chien-Heng
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Yu-Hua
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Chao
authors.forename: Kang-Hsi
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Wei-Ching
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D018277:Carcinoma, Mucoepidermoid / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002648:Child; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012135:Respiratory Sounds / Q000209:etiology; D014134:Tracheal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*