Osteochondroplasty tracheobroncopathy

Abstract

Osteoplastic tracheopathy is a rare disease with dark etiology, characterized by the presence of nodular cartilaginous or bone nodular growths (masses and spicules) in the lumen of the tracheobronchial tree. According to some authors, these nodular outgrowths represent exostosis or eccondrosis of the cartilaginous trachea which often ossifies. Other authors relate this pathology to tracheobronchial amyloidosis. Clinical symptoms can be characterized by cough, dyspnoea, recurrent trachebronchial infections, occasional hemoptysis. Bronchoscopic examination allows the diagnosis to be made. The clinical cases in which the above described pathology has been diagnosed are three: 51 year old man smoker with chronic bronchitis, 62 year old woman smoker with moderate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and a 65 year oldman, non-smoker, with severe obstruction entity.