Congenital bronchial atresia: a case report with radiographic and pathologic correlation

• Main Authors: Wesselius LJ, Tazelaar HD, Muhm JR
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Arizona Thoracic Society 2011-09-01
• Series: Southwest Journal of Pulmonary and Critical Care
• Subjects: congenital bronchial atresia; PET scan; hyperlucency; mucus impaction
• Online Access: http://www.swjpcc.com/pulmonary/2011/9/26/congenital-bronchial-atresia-a-case-report-with-radiographic.html?SSScrollPosition=280

Bronchial atresia is a rare congenital disorder characterized by localized atresia or stenosis of a segmental bronchus. Imaging features typically include mucus impaction in distal airways associated with regional lung hyperlucency. Pathologic features of bronchial atresia have been rarely been reported. This case demonstrates CT features of this disorder as well as the unusual finding of increased lung uptake of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose on PET scan. This finding led to a surgical lung biopsy to exclude infectious or neoplastic disorders. This case provides radiologic-pathologic correlation in a patient with congenital bronchial atresia and demonstrates that localized, mildly increased uptake on PET scan be associated bronchial atresia.