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Case Reports
. 2023 Oct 9;15(10):e46733.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.46733. eCollection 2023 Oct.

Tracheal Papilloma Mimicking Severe Asthma

Muzamil Khan  1 , Khalil Diab  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Tracheal Papilloma Mimicking Severe Asthma

Muzamil Khan et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Tracheal papillomatosis is a rare and challenging condition characterized by the development of benign tumors in the trachea and bronchial tree. This case report presents a 53-year-old female with refractory papillomatosis and mediastinal lymphadenopathy. Despite three previous resections, the papilloma recurred, causing moderate tracheal narrowing and symptoms mimicking severe persistent asthma. In June 2023, the patient underwent bronchoscopy with successful tumor debulking cryosurgery, significantly improving her symptoms.

Keywords: cryotherapy; severe-asthma; tracheal masses; tracheal papilloma; tracheal papillomatosis.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Coronal CT image with a white arrow indicating a solitary endotracheal polypoid mass near the bronchial bifurcation
Figure 2
Figure 2. Axial CT scan with a white arrow demonstrating a possible squamous cell papilloma
Figure 3
Figure 3. Low-power images: 4X (a) and 10X (b) with white arrows indicating a squamous papillomatous lesion
Figure 4
Figure 4. High magnification images: 20X (a) and 40X (b) showing mild to moderate dysplasia and focal mitotic figures. A white arrow in (b) demonstrates a mitotic figure.
Figure 5
Figure 5. White arrows demonstrating a large endotracheal mass prior to the left mainstem bronchus that was visualized during EBUS
EBUS: endobronchial ultrasound
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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