Management of a tracheal bronchus in a pediatric lung transplant recipient

Lung transplant in a recipient with tracheal bronchus

We describe the intraoperative surgical management of tracheal bronchus encountered in a lung transplant recipient.

Bilateral lung transplantation using a donor with a tracheal right upper lobe bronchus

We report on a case of successful bilateral sequential lung transplantation using a donor with the right upper lobe bronchus arising from the trachea. After en-bloc donor lung retrieval, the right bronchial stump was fashioned to create one lumen including the bronchus intermedius and the aberrant right upper lobe bronchus. A carinoplasty was performed in the recipient with resection of a portion of the lateral wall of trachea. The anastomosis was completed using a telescoping technique without any complication. This case demonstrates the possibility of successfully using donor lungs with such anatomic abnormality for transplantation.

Congenital bronchial abnormalities revisited

Bronchial anatomy is adequately demonstrated with the appropriate spiral computed tomographic technique on cross-sectional images, multiplanar reconstruction images, and three-dimensional reconstruction images. Contrary to the numerous variations of lobar or segmental bronchial subdivisions, abnormal bronchi originating from the trachea or main bronchi are rare. Major bronchial abnormalities include accessory cardiac bronchus (ACB) and "tracheal" bronchus. An ACB is a supernumerary bronchus from the inner wall of the right main bronchus or intermediate bronchus that progresses toward the pericardium. Fourteen ACBs were found in 17,500 consecutive patients (frequency, 0.08%). The term tracheal bronchus encompasses a variety of bronchial anomalies originating from the trachea or main bronchus and directed to the upper lobe. In a series of 35 tracheal bronchi, only eight originated from the trachea, three originated from the carina, and 24 originated from the bronchi. Displaced tracheal bronchi (27 of 35) are more frequent than supernumerary tracheal bronchi (eight of 35). Minor bronchial abnormalities include variants of tracheal bronchus, displaced segmental bronchi, and bronchial agenesis. The main embryogenic hypotheses for congenital bronchial abnormalities are the reduction, migration, and selection theories. Knowledge and understanding of congenital bronchial abnormalities may have important implications for diagnosis, bronchoscopy, surgery, brachytherapy, and intubation.