The Clinical Evaluation of Anomalous Bronchi Arising From The Trachea and Main Bronchi

Kim, Jun Chul; Kim, Yeon Jae; Kang, Byung Jun; Youn, Young Deuk; Lee, Se Young; Kwon, Young Lan; Lee, Soo Ok; Jeong, Chi Yeong; Lee, Byung Ki

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the clinical significance of abnormal bronchi originating from the trachea or main bronchi.
METHODS
21 patients (male:female ratio, 13:8; mean age, 58.2 years, range 34-77), who were diagnosed with major tracheobronchial anomalies by bronchoscopy from January 2001 to March 2005, were enrolled in this study. The anomalous bronchi consisted of 13 tracheal bronchi and 8 cardiac accessory bronchus. The clinical features, bronchoscopic findings, and outcomes were analyzed retrospectively.
RESULTS
Common symptoms, including hemoptysis, cough and dyspnea, resulted from the underlying lung disease regardless of the bronchial anomalies. In this series of 13 tracheal bronchi, 7 cases originated from the trachea within 1cm of the carina (carinal type) and 6 cases originated at a higher level(tracheal type). Most patients had favorable outcome with conservative treatment for the underlying lung disease.
CONCLUSION
Most tracheobronchial anomalies are found incidentally in the process of diagnosing lung disease. The clinical outcome of patients with a bronchial anomaly depends on the underlying lung disease.