Tuberc Respir Dis.  2012 Aug;73(2):122-126.

Plastic Bronchitis in an Adult with Asthma

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Internal Medicine, CHA Gumi Medical Center, CHA University School of Medicine, Gumi, Korea. kejean@naver.com
  • 2Department of Pathology, CHA Gumi Medical Center, CHA University School of Medicine, Gumi, Korea.
  • 3Department of Internal Medicine, Kyungpook National University School of Medicine, Daegu, Korea.

Abstract

Plastic bronchitis is a rare disease characterized by marked airway obstruction, via the formation of large gelatinous or rigid airway cast. In Korea, there were a few case reports with plastic bronchitis not in adults, but in children. So we report a case of an adult who was diagnosed as plastic bronchitis with eosinophilic casts, with no history of atopic and cardiac disease.

Keyword

Bronchitis; Etiology; Asthma; Adult

MeSH Terms

Adult
Airway Obstruction
Asthma
Bronchitis
Child
Eosinophils
Gelatin
Heart Diseases
Humans
Korea
Plastics
Rare Diseases
Gelatin
Plastics

Figure

  • Figure 1 (A) Initial chest X-ray shows no definite abnormalities. (B) After 2 months, chest X-ray shows infiltration at the left lower lung field. (C) After bronchoscopic removal of bronchial casts, chest X-ray shows a dramatically improvement of infiltration at the left lower lung fields.

  • Figure 2 Chest computed tomography shows multiple nodular infiltration at left upper lobe (A, B) and consolidation at left lower lobe (C, D), suggesting tuberculosis.

  • Figure 3 Bronchoscopic exam shows a hard purulent mass-like secretion at left lower lobe basal segment bronchus (A). Bronchoscopic removal of that mass reveals a large cast along bronchial tree (B).

  • Figure 4 Biopsy specimen of mass-like secretion shows mucous plug, containing necrotic epithelial cells, some eosinophils and Charcot-Leyden crystals (arrows) (H&E stain, ×400).


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