Tuberc Respir Dis.  2006 Mar;60(3):337-341.

The Clinical Characteristics of Endobronchial Anthracofibrotic Pigmentation

• Lim D
• Son J
• Choi E

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
Endobronchial anthracofibrotic pigmentation, which presents as dark black or brown pigmentation mucosal changes of multiple bronchi combined with bronchial fibrosis and obstruction, is not a rare finding when performing diagnostic bronchoscopy for Koreans. This study was performed to define the clinical characteristics and to determine the association of these finding with the Korean life style and such other diseases as coal workers, pneumoconiosis or tuberculosis in the patients with anthracofibrotic pigmentation.
METHODS
This retrospective analysis was conducted on 70 (5.2%) patients with endobronchial anthracofibrotic pigmentation, among a total of 1340 patients who underwent bronchoscopy. The distinctive clinical features, the personal life style, the past medical history, the histology and microbiology, the radiologic finding and the natures of the bronchoscopic lesions were analyzed.
RESULTS
This mean age of the patients with anthracofibrotic pigmentation was 60.6+/-9.2 year old and the male to female ratio was 1:1.7. The common respiratory symptoms of these patients were coughing and sputum (81%, 57/70), and this was followed in order by dyspnea and hemoptysisir. The symptoms were not related with smoking and an occupational history such as being a coal worker and so on. Pneumonia was most common finding on the radiologic studies. On bronchoscopy, the right middle lobe bronchus was most commonly involved. The most common associated disease was tuberculosis, and 40 cases (57.1%) were diagnosed by AFB staining, TB PCR, bronchoscopic guided tissue biopsy and a past history of tuberculosis. Other diseases related with anthracotic pigmentation were hypertension, diabetes, COPD, lung cancer, pneumoconiosis and asthma.
CONCLUSION
These results suggest that endobronchial anthracofibrotic pigmentation was mostly related with pulmonary tuberculosis rather than with coal- related disease. Endobronchial anthracofibrotic pigmentation was more prevalent in older age females in Korea.

Keyword

Anthracofibrotic pigmentation; Tuberculosis

MeSH Terms

Asthma
Biopsy
Bronchi
Bronchoscopy
Coal
Cough
Dyspnea
Female
Fibrosis
Humans
Hypertension
Korea
Life Style
Lung Neoplasms
Male
Pigmentation*
Pneumoconiosis
Pneumonia
Polymerase Chain Reaction
Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive
Retrospective Studies
Smoke
Smoking
Sputum
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, Pulmonary
Coal
Smoke

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