Abstract

In the past, tracheobronchial anomaly and variants (TBA) have been reported in 1-12% of the patients who underwent bronchography or bronchoscopy. In addition to various anatomic variants, tracheal bronchus and accessory cardiac bronchus may be seen rarely. The objective of our study was to investigate the patients with TBA diagnosed by bronchoscopy and describe their clinical characteristics. The reports of all bronchoscopies performed in Dokuz Eylül University Hospital Department of Pulmonary Diseases between 1992 and 2002 were reviewed and the patients with TBA were collected. Data about clinical and radiologic findings of the patients with TBA were recorded. In 72 out of 6732 bronchoscopies (1.06%) TBA was detected. There were 49 males (68%) and mean age was 57.8 ( range, 26 to 89). Tracheal bronchus and accessory cardiac bronchus were detected in 16 (0.2%) and four (0.05%) patients, respectively. Most of the TBA were localized at the right upper lobe bronchus (67.07%). In eight patients (11.1%) there were more than one TBA. One patient had bilateral TBA including accessory cardiac bronchus and tracheal bronchus of the left lower lobe bronchus. In two patients, there were another airway anomalies including Mac Leod’s syndrom and pulmonary secestration, whereas one patient had diaphragmatic hernia. TBA is usually asymptomatic and an accidental finding on bronchoscopic examination. However, tracheal bronchus and accessory cardiac bronchus may result in cough, hemoptysis or recurrent pneumonia . Therefore, knowledge of bronchial anomaly and variants is essential for distinguishing pathological findings and proper bronchoscopic and clinical diagnosis.