Suspected foreign body aspiration in a child with endobronchial tuberculosis

Endobronchial Tuberculosis Simulating Acute Foreign Body Inhalation: A Case Report

Endobronchial tuberculosis is a rare form of pulmonary tuberculosis, that can be due to the rupture of an infected lymph node through bronchial wall or lymphatic spread to the lining of the bronchial tree. Clinical presentation is non-specific, and can simulate inhalation of a foreign body. Otolaryngologists should be aware of its presentation often atypical. The following case is an unusual presentation of endobronchial tuberculosis in a 23-month-old patient initially diagnosed as a foreign body in the respiratory tract with acute dyspnea with unilateral wheezing and suspected foreign body on chest computed tomography. Bronchoscopy revealed a granulomatous mass in carina and both primary bronchi. Granuloma ablation improved patient's respiratory status. The pathology revealed an epithelioid and gigantic cellular with caseous necrosis compatible with tuberculosis. This unusual presentation of tuberculosis should be known to otolaryngologists and pediatricians in view of the frequency of tuberculosis in our context as well as increase in its incidence.

Flexible bronchoscopy for diagnosis and follow up of childhood endobronchial tuberculosis

BACKGROUND

In this study, our aim was to determine the clinical and bronchoscopic outcome of the endobronchial tuberculosis (ETB).

METHODS

Patients with suspected tuberculosis (TB) or TB patients with an inadequate response to 8 weeks of antituberculosis treatment were enrolled in the study.

RESULTS

Seventy patients were included to the study and 118 flexible bronchoscopies were performed. ETB was present in 33 (47%) patients. There was isolated compression in 14 cases, caseous lesions in 13, granuloma formation in 6, polypoid lesions in 2, adenopathy protrusion in 1, and mucosal erosion in 1 case. The mean duration of bronchoscopic resolution of endobronchial lesions was 5.50 +/- 2.74 months. Mycobacterium tuberculosis was isolated from gastric lavage in 10% and from bronchoalveolar lavage in 12.8% of 70 cases. When both of the procedures were performed concurrently, the isolation rate increased to 20%. Transient hypoxia resolving with nasal O2 was observed in 3 patients as a complication of bronchoscopy.

CONCLUSIONS

Bronchoscopy offered a safe and rapid means of confirming the diagnosis of ETB.

Not your routine foreign body: endobronchial tuberculosis in an infant

Foreign-body aspiration is a common cause of respiratory distress among children. Here we describe an 8-month-old, previously 34-week premature, male patient who presented with a 1-day history of fever and increased work of breathing. Of note, 3 weeks before presentation, the patient had been treated with orally administered amoxicillin for presumed pneumonia and exhibited good clinical response. No chest radiograph was obtained at that time. A current chest radiograph revealed hyperexpansion of the left lung, with a mediastinal shift. Although the patient was referred because of possible foreign-body aspiration, no clear history of an aspiration event was obtained, and computed tomographic scans of the chest were recommended. These showed extensive hilar and mediastinal lymphadenopathy, resulting in obstruction of the left bronchus. Bronchoscopy revealed a cheesy granulomatous mass in the left mainstem bronchus, which was ball-valving into the upper bronchus. Removal resulted in improvement of the patient's respiratory status. Pathology, bronchial lavage, and gastric aspirate specimens all revealed acid-fast bacilli, consistent with Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. This unusual presentation of tuberculosis may become more common in the United States as the incidence of immigrants carrying tuberculosis increases.