Pebbled trachea: A case series and literature review of tracheobronchopathia osteochondroplastica

Abstract

We report a series of three cases diagnosed with tracheobronchopathia osteochondroplastica on bronchoscopy and computed tomography (CT) chest. Most patients were diagnosed incidentally on evaluation for chronic cough. The association of this entity with chronic bacterial infections and tuberculosis is an intriguing entity that was observed in our patients. Nodular, ulcerative, and calcific lesions in the trachea are bronchoscopic findings seen in quite a few other conditions posing diagnostic challenges. However, the classical bronchoscopic appearance with CT imaging in an appropriate clinical context can lead to an accurate diagnosis of this condition. We describe this array of cases with varying clinical presentations, their associations, and deliberate the literature reviews on this rare entity.

Keywords

• bronchoscopy
• chronic infections
• osteocartilaginous nodules
• tracheobronchopathia osteochondroplastica
• tuberculosis