Endobronchial Tuberculosis

Endobronchial tuberculosis is a complication of primary lung tuberculosis and may result from rupture of an infected lymph node through the bronchial wall or from lymphatic spread to the mucosal surface of the bronchial tree. The clinical manifestation of endobronchial tuberculosis includes cough, bronchorrhea, bronchial stenosis, and atelectasis. Endobronchial obstruction may also result in acute respiratory distress.

Case Report

A six-year-old girl was admitted with sudden onset of severe respiratory distress. The child was dyspneic and orthopneic with tachycardia, tachypnea, and restlessness. There was a weak cough. The respiratory sounds were hardly heard on the left lung. The chest roentgenogram revealed that the left lung was mostly opaque, and aeration could be seen only in the superior part of the left upper lobe. Marked shift of the mediastinum to the left was interpreted as a result of atelectasis, possibly caused by the obstructing foreign body. The right lung was normal clinically and roentgenologically. The child was immediately taken to the operating room for bronchoscopic examination. A spongy material obstructing the left main bronchus was removed by fiberoptic rigid bronchoscope. read