Chronic Cough Caused by Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma

ABSTRACT

Tracheal tumours can develop as primary neoplasms or as extensions from adjacent organs such as the lungs or larynx. We present a case of a man diagnosed with adenoid cystic carcinoma of the trachea.

Tracheal tumours can develop as primary neoplasms or as extensions from adjacent organs such as the lungs or larynx. We present a case of a man with chronic and severe cough, diagnosed with adenoid cystic carcinoma of the trachea.

A 55‐year‐old man with a history of smoking, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and hepatitis C presented with progressive and intractable cough and shortness of breath over the past years. During coughing, hypoxemia was observed, possibly due to dynamic airway collapse. A chest X‐ray (Figure 1A) was unremarkable; however, due to an episode of haemoptysis, a CT scan was arranged. The study revealed an abnormal mass in the lower trachea, located approximately 2 cm above the carina, measuring about 1.3 × 1.2 cm² (Figure 1B,C). Bronchoscopy confirmed the presence of the mass (Figure 2A), and subsequent cryobiopsy (Figure 2B) confirmed the diagnosis of adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC). Primary tracheal adenoid cystic carcinoma [1] arises from submucosal glands and typically presents with late‐onset clinical symptoms. Patients commonly experience dyspnea, cough, wheezing and haemoptysis. The patient's chronic cough significantly improved after the tumour removal with cryoprobe during the bronchoscopy biopsy. The patient later received definite treatment with tracheal tumour resection with reconstruction of the trachea and is under regular follow‐up in the outpatient setting. Special attention should be given to this patient's cough, which is chronic and severe. When encountering similar presentations, an endobronchial lesion should be considered.

FIGURE 1.

(A) The chest radiography is grossly normal. No obvious endotracheal lesion can be found. (B and C) The axial and coronal view of the chest computer tomography revealed an endobronchial mass in the lower trachea, located approximately 2 cm above the carina, measuring about 1.3 × 1.2 cm².

FIGURE 2.

(A) The patient later received transbronchial tumour removal with cryoprobe. (B) The 200× HE stain from the removed tumour showed solid tumour cells filled with basophilic mucoid material in cribriform pattern, characteristic of adenoid cystic carcinoma.

Author Contributions

Yu‐Tzu Chien and Yung‐Chia Huang wrote a manuscript for this manuscript and conducted a literature review. Chia‐Hung Hsu contributed to the collection of case information and the revision of the manuscript. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.

Consent

The authors declare that written informed consent was obtained for the publication of this manuscript and accompanying images using the form provided by the Journal.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Chien Y.‐T., Huang Y.‐C., and Hsu C.‐H., “Chronic Cough Caused by Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma,” Respirology Case Reports 13, no. 8 (2025): e70309, 10.1002/rcr2.70309.

Data Availability Statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available due to privacy or ethical restrictions.