Tracheal mucoepidermoid carcinoma in a 7-year-old child

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the trachea in a 9-year-old male child: case report and review of literature

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) is the most common malignancy of minor salivary glands in adults. Pulmonary MEC is extremely uncommon, comprising only 0.1–0.2% of the primary lung malignancies and <1% of primary bronchial tumors. It is even rarer in children, and literature is limited to a few case reports only. Here we present a case report of a 9-year-old boy diagnosed with primary MEC of the trachea along with a review of the literature. A 9-year-old male child presented with complaint of dry cough for two years which was later associated with shortness of breath after one year. Bronchoscopic examination revealed a growth arising from right lateral wall of carina occluding 50% of the lumen and detailed histopathological examination revealed it to be a MEC of the trachea. The patient underwent local excision of the tumor with primary anastomosis. Because of positive margin, adjuvant radiotherapy of 60 Gy in 30 fractions was given to the tumor bed. The patient tolerated the treatment well and is disease free at 6 months follow-up. Experience with MEC of the trachea in children is limited, and optimal treatment protocols have not been defined, with current treatment mainly extrapolated from MEC of the salivary glands.

An eight-year-old girl with tracheal mass treated as a difficult asthma case

INTRODUCTION

Endobronchial masses such as mucoepidermoid carcinomas or carcinoid tumors are extremely rare in children and they usually originate from large bronchi. These lesions may cause wheezing and dyspnea with poor response to bronchodilators and mimic the airway obstruction caused by asthma.

CASE STUDY

We present the case of an 8-year-old girl with tracheal mucoepidermoid carcinoma who was treated as a difficult asthma case with high dose of inhaled corticosteroids.

RESULTS

The characteristic stridor, the lack of response to bronchodilators and to inhaled corticosteroid treatment, combined with the characteristic flow loop in spirometry and the hyperinflation seen on the chest radiograph, all raised the clinical suspicion of a tracheal lesion and indicated the need for flexible bronchoscopy. The bronchoscopy revealed a large lesion obstructing totally the trachea lumen. The latter finding was confirmed by chest high resolution CT. The mass was completely excised via sternotomy under cardiopulmonary bypass, and the pathologic examination showed a low-grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the trachea. One month after the surgery she was free of symptoms and her spirometry was normal.

CONCLUSION

Tracheal lesions mimic the symptoms of airway obstruction caused by asthma and should be always be part of the differential diagnosis in young patients with no response to asthma treatment.

Pediatric airway tumors: A report from the International Network of Pediatric Airway Teams (INPAT)

OBJECTIVE

Primary tracheobronchial tumors (PTTs) are rare heterogeneous lesions arising from any part of the tracheobronchial tree. Nonspecific symptoms may lead to delayed diagnosis that requires more aggressive surgical treatment. An analysis of cases collected by the International Network of Pediatric Airway Team was undertaken to ensure proper insight into the behavior and management of PTTs.

METHODS

Patients <18 years of age with a histological confirmation of PTT diagnosed from 2000 to 2015 were included in this multicenter international retrospective study. Medical records, treatment modalities, and outcomes were analyzed. The patient presentation, tumor management, and clinical course were compared between malignant and benign histotypes. Clinical and surgical variables that might influence event-free survival were considered.

RESULTS

Among the 78 children identified, PTTs were more likely to be malignant than benign; bronchial carcinoid tumor (n = 31; 40%) was the most common histological subtype, followed by inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (n = 19; 25%) and mucoepidermoid carcinoma (n = 15; 19%). Regarding symptoms at presentation, wheezing (P = 0.001) and dyspnea (P = 0.03) were more often associated with benign growth, whereas hemoptysis was more frequently associated with malignancy (P = 0.042). Factors that significantly worsened event-free survival were age at diagnosis earlier than 112 months (P = 0.0035) and duration of symptoms lasting more than 2 months (P = 0.0029).

CONCLUSION

The results of this international study provide important information regarding the clinical presentation, diagnostic workup, and treatment of PTTs in children, casting new light on the biological behavior of PTTs to ensure appropriate treatments.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

NA Laryngoscope, 130:E243-E251, 2020.

Unique application of awake tracheoscopy and endobronchial ultrasound in the management of tracheal mucoepidermoid carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the trachea is a rare pediatric malignancy that presents unique challenges in diagnosis, operative management, and surveillance.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We present a 17-year-old girl with primary tracheal mucoepidermoid carcinoma presenting in acute respiratory distress due to near-total occlusion of the tracheal airway. An algorithmic approach to preoperative planning was developed to evaluate and remove the tumor endoscopically without compromising oxygenation. After initial palliative resection, endobronchial ultrasound was uniquely applied to evaluate depth of tumor invasion, and subsequent tracheal resection with primary anastomosis was performed as curative treatment.

CONCLUSION

Removal of distal tracheal masses can be performed safely with the implementation of an algorithmic approach to tumor visualization and resection. Endobronchial ultrasound can be used to evaluate the extent of tumor invasion and plan for definitive resection.

Primary mucoepidermoid carcinoma at the carina of trachea presenting with wheezing in an asthmatic child mimicking an attack of asthma: A case report

BACKGROUND

Asthma is a very common disease, but primary tracheal tumors are extremely rare in children. Wheezing is not pathognomonic, but is the typical presentation of asthma and could also be found in patients with tracheal tumors.

CLINICAL FINDINGS

This report describes a 12-year-old boy with a previous history of frequent asthma attacks and experienced responses to antiasthma treatment. He was admitted to the hospital due to persistent wheezing and progressive dyspnea. Hyperinflation in the bilateral lungs was detected on chest x-ray, but without other significant findings. Chest computed tomography revealed a mass at the carina. Tracheal mucoepidermoid carcinoma was diagnosed by histopathological assessment.

CONCLUSION

Despite the rarity of tracheal tumors, chest computed tomography scans should be performed in the first place for children presenting persistent wheezing and having poor response to antiasthma treatment to rule out the other alternative diagnosis. Coexistence of other diseases such as tracheal tumor in asthmatic patients should be considered.

Childhood and adolescent tracheobronchial mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC): a case-series and review of the literature

Tracheobronchial mucoepidermoid carcinomas (MEC) are rare in the pediatric population with literature limited primarily to case reports. Here we present our institutional experience treating MEC in three patients and review the literature of 142 pediatric cases previously published from 1968 to 2013. Although rare, tracheobronchial MEC should be included in the differential diagnosis in a child with recurrent respiratory symptoms. Conservative surgical management is often sufficient to achieve complete resection and good outcomes.

[Mucoepidermoid tracheo-bronchial tumors in adulthood. A series of 22 cases]

INTRODUCTION

Mucoepidermoid tumours (TME) are rare tumours arising from the submucosal glands of the tracheobronchial tree. The majority of these tumours develop in a benign fashion but some of them are malignant. The latter can be easily mistaken for adenosquamous carcinomas.

PATIENTS AND METHOD

We have reviewed 22 patients suffering from TME observed over a period of 25 years. Two arose from the trachea and 20 from the cartilaginous bronchi; 12 of these tumours had macroscopic and histological criteria of low-grade malignancy, 4 had macroscopic and 6 macroscopic and microscopic criteria of high grade malignancy.

RESULTS

Prognosis of the latter was very poor and no survival observed after 6 years follow-up, a behavior similar to that observed in non-small cell lung carcinomas and adenosquamous carcinomas.

CONCLUSION

The best treatment of these orphan tumours remains surgery.

A case of mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the bronchus presented with hydropneumothorax in a child

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma is a rare pulmonary neoplasm seen in the pediatric population. We report a low grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma in a 12-year-old boy who presented with spontaneous pneumothorax.

About a submucosal tracheal tumor

The authors report the case of 46-year-old man with recurrent hemoptysis. Bronchoscopy revealed a submucosal tumor protruding into the tracheal lumen. Transbronchial biopsy failed to obtain a conclusive diagnosis; only surgery allowed complete resection of the tumor and confirmed the diagnosis of tracheal mucoepidermoid carcinoma. We discuss the unusual submucosal presentation of this tumor, and the contribution of surgery for diagnosis and therapy.

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma in a minor salivary gland in a child

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC), one of the most common salivary gland malignancies, is rare in children. MEC mainly occurs in the parotid gland, along with minor glands being the second common site, particularly in palate. Clinical, histological, and radiological findings of palatal MEC in a 12-year-old girl are presented with three-year follow-up. Pathologic lesions must be considered in differential diagnoses of intraoral asymptomatic lesions, and their detailed inspection should be taken into consideration.

Primary mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the trachea in a child

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the trachea is a rare tumour, especially in the paediatric population. We report the case of a 9-year-old boy with mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the trachea that was preoperatively diagnosed as an intraluminal polypoid mass arising from the trachea and extending into the right main bronchus. A complete resection of the tumour with reconstruction and end-to-end anastomosis of the trachea was performed. The patient is now, 24 months after surgery, free of disease.

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the trachea mimicking asthma

In cases of recent asthma in which clinical control with the usual treatment (corticosteroids and bronchodilator) is unsatisfactory, it is important to consider other diagnoses, such as congestive heart failure, gastroesophageal reflux or other forms of airway obstruction. We report the case of a female patient with mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the trachea mimicking asthma. The patient presented cough and wheezing, as well as abnormal spirometry results with an obstructive pattern that was responsive to bronchodilators. One year later, the patient presented clinical and spirometric worsening. The chest X-ray revealed no abnormalities. A CT scan showed a vegetative lesion obstructing the tracheal lumen and located 1 cm from the carina. Fiberoptic bronchoscopy showed a finding similar to a bronchial carcinoid tumor. The anatomopathological diagnosis made after surgical resection was low-grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma, without lymph node involvement. Although the flow-volume curve was not suggestive of upper airway obstruction, the spirometry performed after the surgery showed a significant reduction in the degree of obstruction and greater reversibility after bronchodilator use. There was no evidence of recurrence of the disease or of the symptoms after a two-year follow-up period.

Malignant tumor of the trachea in children: diagnostic pitfalls and surgical management

Primary tracheal malignant neoplasms are very rare. Histologically, squamous cell and adenoid cystic carcinomas are the most common types of malignant primary tracheal tumors when all age groups are studied. In the past 5 years, we treated 2 children with tracheal mucoepidermoid carcinoma. Herein we report both cases and review the literature on the subject with particular emphasis on diagnosis and surgical management.

Bronchial mucoepidermoid carcinoma with recurrent hemoptysis in a pregnant woman: report of a case

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the tracheobronchial tree, which is thought to arise from the minor salivary gland tissue of the proximal airway, is an extremely rare neoplasm. We herein report a case of a 31-year-old pregnant woman in her 36th week, who complained of recurrent hemoptysis from bronchial mucoepidermoid carcinoma. As massive bleeding from the tumor was seen during a caesarean section, it was necessary to add bronchial artery embolization. The tumor was successfully removed by a sleeve resection of the left main bronchus after the embolization. The patient is doing well without any signs of recurrence at 3 years after undergoing the operation.

Pleomorphic adenoma of the trachea in an 8-year-old boy: a case report

We report a case of pleomorphic adenoma of the trachea in an 8-year-old boy who required emergency surgery for severe respiratory distress. Chest computed tomographic scan and bronchoscopy showed a relatively large mass in distal trachea and right main bronchus and destruction of the lung parenchyma. The patient was subjected to right carinal resection, pneumonectomy, and pericardial patch tracheoplasty for reconstruction of the trachea. Histopathological examination and immunohistochemical staining of tumor specimens were compatible with pleomorphic adenoma. Postoperative follow-up of this patient for a period of 6 months showed satisfactory results with no complications or tumor recurrence. We present not only a very rare benign tracheal tumor in children but also demonstrate successful usage of a free pericardial patch for tracheal reconstruction, although direct anastomosis failed to provide an adequate anastomotic lumen.

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma of minor salivary glands: a clinical study of 16 cases and review of the literature

OBJECTIVE

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) is the most common malignant tumor of salivary glands with a widely diverse biologic behavior that is correlated with the histological grade of the tumor. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical outcomes of MEC of minor salivary glands in a group of 16 patients, who were treated in our clinic, and to discuss the management of this carcinoma.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Between 1985 and 2000, 16 patients with MEC of minor salivary glands were treated in the Clinic of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of the 'G. Papanikolaou' General Hospital, in Thessaloniki. The age range was 16-65 years. The distribution of the primary sites was: hard plate (one), soft palate (two), hard and soft palate (three), hard and soft palate with spread in paranasal sinus and nasal cavity (one), buccal mucosa (three), hard palate, alveolar process and buccal mucosa (two), and retromolar triangle (our). The tumors were clinically staged according to the tumor nodes metastase (TNM) system (Seifert, 1991). All patients were treated radically with surgery. The surgery was combined with radiotherapy in nine patients. Radiotherapy was delivered using Co-60. Doses ranged from 50 to 60 Gy and the duration of the therapy ranged from 25 to 35 days. Immunohistochemical assay of the expression of the Ki-67 antigen was performed on a subset of 15 cases.

RESULTS

The mean follow-up range was 4-14 years. From the 16 patients with MECs 10 (62.5%) were alive and five (35.6%) had died from the disease. Four patients were free of the disease for more than 5 years (range 8-14), five patients were free of the disease for 5 years and one patient was free of the disease for 4 years. One patient lived more than 10 years and died from another cause. Local recurrence developed in one patient 10 years after the initial treatment. Lymph node metastases occurred in one patient within the first year after the initial surgical treatment. Distant metastases (two in bones and one in lungs) occurred in three patients within 2 years after completing the treatment. The Pearson chi-square statistical analysis was used for comparing the Ki-67 values in correlation with histological grade of the tumors. The Ki-67 expression was only 1% in low-grade MECs, while in intermediate-grade tumors it was estimated between 3 and 4%. The high-grade tumors had increased expression (10%) of tumor cells.

CONCLUSION

Complete surgical excision is the treatment of choice for MECs. Adequate excision is important in all grades of tumors. Prognosis of MECs is a function of the histological grade, adequacy of excision and clinical staging. The immunohistochemical study of Ki-67 expression may provide additional prognostic information for this tumor.

Carcinoid and mucoepidermoid bronchial tumours in children

The aim of the study was to determine the characteristic features and outcome of carcinoid or mucoepidermoid tumours in children. A retrospective analysis of all patients treated for a carcinoid or mucoepidermoid tumour in France between 1984 and 2001 was performed. There were 11 cases of carcinoid tumour and 6 cases of mucoepidermoid tumour. The mean age of the patients was 10.5+/-3.0 years, with a range of 5 to 15 years. Twelve and 6 patients presented with evidence of bronchial obstruction and haemoptysis, respectively. Fibre optic bronchoscopy confirmed the presence of a bronchial tumour in all cases and endobronchial biopsies were diagnostic in 11 of 12 cases. A chest CT scan revealed the presence of a hypervascular tumour in 8 of 12 patients. The distribution of the location of the tumours was equal between the right and the left lung, and, in 9 cases, the airways were totally occluded by the tumour. Complete surgical resection (lobectomy in 15 patients and pneumonectomy in 2 patients) was performed in all cases without pre-operative chemotherapy or radiotherapy. The mean duration of follow-up was 4.0+/-3.0 years. In 2 patients, auscultation assymetry and an episode of haemoptysis revealed the recurrence of a mucoepidermoid tumour, successfully cured by removal of the tumour and chemotherapy and radiotherapy in one child. No death was observed.

CONCLUSION

Pulmonary carcinoid and mucoepidermoid tumours are rare in children. Bronchoscopic removal should not be performed. With aggressive surgical therapy, the prognosis is excellent. Fibre optic bronchoscopy confirms the presence of an endobronchial mass. A biopsy is needed for diagnosis and complete surgical removal is the treatment of choice. Long-term results are excellent but a clinical follow-up is recommended.

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma as an unusual cause for recurrent respiratory infections in a child

Recurrent respiratory infections in a 9-year-old girl prompted a chest radiograph and a CT scan, which showed a right middle lobe consolidation. Bronchoscopy revealed a tumor that totally obstructed the middle lobe. Open lung biopsy revealed a low-grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma. Middle and lower right lung lobectomy was performed, followed by an uneventful recovery. Cytogenetic investigation of tumor cells exhibited the translocation t(11;19). This case shows that further diagnostic modalities such as CT scanning should be performed early in children with recurrent lower respiratory tract infections who have suspicious radiographic findings such as persistent atelectasis or recurrent unifocal infiltration. Bronchial mucoepidermoid carcinoma is infrequent, and molecular investigations might shed additional light on the prognosis.

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the bronchus presenting with a negative chest X-ray and normal pulmonary function in two teenagers: two case reports and review of the literature

Two adolescents presented with a history of dyspnea upon exertion and cough. In both cases, the chest X-ray and pulmonary function testing, including flow-volume loop, were normal. A bronchial tumor was diagnosed by CT scan, which was ordered after each patient had an episode of hemoptysis. The sedimentation rate was the only abnormal laboratory test in both cases. Mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the bronchus, a rare tumor in childhood, was found at pathology in both cases. There was no evidence of metastases to local lymph nodes or distal sites. There were 47 previously reported cases in children. Recurrent pneumonia and persistent cough were the most common presenting findings. These tumors are of low-grade malignant potential but they can become locally invasive, extending into cartilage and surrounding soft tissue. Prognosis is good with complete resection.

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma: a clinicopathologic study of 80 patients with special reference to histological grading

We sought to review our experience with salivary mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) over two decades to confirm the validity and reproducibility of histologic grading and to investigate MIB-1 index as a prognosticator. Diagnosis was confirmed on 80 cases, and chart review or patient contact was achieved for 48 patients, with follow-up from 5 to 240 months (median 36 months). Immunohistochemistry with citrate antigen retrieval for MIB-1 was performed on a subset of cases. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were generated for each stage, site, and grade according to our proposed grading system. To address the issue of grading reproducibility, 20 slides were circulated among five observers, without prior discussion; slides were categorized as low-, intermediate-, or high-grade according to one's "own" criteria, and then according to the AFIP criteria proposed by Goode et al.10 Weighted kappa (kappa) estimates were obtained to describe the extent of agreement between pairs of rating. The Wilcoxon signed rank test or the Friedman test as appropriate tested variation across ratings. There was no gender predominance and a wide age range (15-86 years, median 49 years). The two most common sites were parotid and palate. All grade 1 MECs presented as Stage I tumors, and no failures were seen for this category. The local disease failure rates at 75 months for grades 2 and 3 MEC were 30% and 70%, respectively. Tumor grade, stage, and negative margin status all correlated with disease-free survival (DFS) (p = 0.0091, 0.0002, and 0.048, respectively). The MIB index was not found to be predictive of grade. Regarding the reproducibility of grading, the interobserver variation for pathologists using their "own" grading, as expressed by the kappa value, ranged from good agreement (kappa = 0.79) to poor (kappa = 0.27) (average kappa = 0.49). A somewhat better interobserver reproducibility was achieved when the pathologists utilized the standardized AFIP criteria (average kappa = 0.61, range 0.38-0.77). This greater agreement was also reflected in the Friedman test (statistical testing of intraobserver equality), which indicated significant differences in using one's own grading systems (p = 0.0001) but not in applying the AFIP "standardized" grading (p = 0.33). When one's own grading was compared with the AFIP grading, there were 100 pairs of grading "events," with 46 disagreements/100 pairs. For 98% of disagreements, the AFIP grading "downgraded" tumors. This led us to reanalyze a subset of 31 patients for DFS versus grade, for our grading schema compared with the AFIP grading. Although statistical significance was not achieved for this subset, the log rank value revealed a trend for our grading (p = 0.0993) compared with the Goode schema (p = 0.2493). This clinicopathologic analysis confirms the predictive value of tumor staging and three-tiered histologic grading. Our grading exercise confirms that there is significant grading disparity for MEC, even among experienced ENT/oral pathologists. The improved reproducibility obtained when the weighted AFIP criteria were used speaks to the need for an accepted and easily reproducible system. However, these proposed criteria have a tendency to downgrade MEC. Therefore, the addition of other criteria (such as vascular invasion, pattern of tumor infiltration [i.e., small islands and individual cells vs cohesive islands]) is necessary. We propose a modified grading schema, which enhances predictability and provides much needed reproducibility.