Key message
Endotracheal paraganglioma is a rare disease, with less than 20 cases reported globally. We present images of a patient with endotracheal paraganglioma unveiled following chronic cough and episodic haemoptysis.
Keywords: chromaffin, paraganglioma, trachea, vascularization
We present images of a patient with endotracheal paraganglioma unveiled following chronic cough and episodic haemoptysis.
CLINICAL IMAGE
A 59‐year‐old man presented with chronic cough and episodic haemoptysis. His past medical history was notable for smoking and unstable hypertension. Chest computed tomography revealed a 15 × 8 mm nodular mass arising from the upper trachea (Figure 1A–C). On flexible bronchoscopy, we noticed a pinkish tumour with rich vascularization (Figure 1D). We avoided performing biopsies due to the risk of bleeding. Tracheal resection of two rings and reconstruction with termino‐terminal anastomosis are accomplished under general anaesthesia. Histopathological evaluation revealed a paraganglioma, showing proliferation of neoplastic cells with abundant cytoplasm and hyperchromatic nuclei. The cells were pan‐cytokeratin AE1/AE3 (−), CD56 (−) and chromogranin (−). S‐100 was strongly positive in sustentacular cells. A paraganglioma is a tumour derived from extra‐adrenal chromaffin cells and whose original place is the sympathetic paravertebral ganglia of the thorax, abdomen and pelvis. 1 The trachea is an infrequent origin of this tumour. The clinical features are not specific and mimic those of other endotracheal lesions and may include cough, haemoptysis, dyspnoea and wheezing. Management includes endoscopic and surgical removal. 2 Although rare, chest physicians should carefully manage and follow up this tumour.
FIGURE 1.
(A) Axial, sagittal (B) and (C) coronal chest computed tomography images in a 59‐year‐old man diagnosed with tracheal paraganglioma, demonstrating a 15 × 8 mm nodular mass arising from the posterolateral wall of the upper trachea. A red arrow demarcates the location of the mass. (D) Image from flexible bronchoscopy demonstrating a pinkish tumour with rich vascularization.
AUTHOR CONTRIBUTION
The author has prepared, read and approved the final manuscript.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
None declared.
ETHICS STATEMENT
The author declares that appropriate written informed consent was obtained for the publication of this manuscript and accompanying images.
Bouanzoul MA. An endotracheal tumour in a 59‐year‐old man with chronic cough and episodic haemoptysis. Respirology Case Reports. 2022;10:e01000. 10.1002/rcr2.1000
Associate Editor: Jennifer Ann Wi
DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT
Data are available on request from the author.
REFERENCES
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Associated Data
This section collects any data citations, data availability statements, or supplementary materials included in this article.
Data Availability Statement
Data are available on request from the author.