A 30-Year-Old Woman with Only Right-Sided Asthma?

Abstract

Centrally located endobronchial tumors present diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. We report the case of a 30-year-old woman presenting with nonspecific respiratory symptoms and wheezing, who was initially diagnosed with asthma, but eventually was found to have a non-secreting typical carcinoid tumor of the right main bronchus. Surgical management with isolated resection of the right main bronchus allowed us to avoid any parenchymal loss. This case is an instructive example showing that not every wheeze is asthma, especially if the wheezing is unilateral. The excellent long-term outcome of our patient highlights the fact that for central carcinoids, parenchyma-saving resection together with systematic lymphadenectomy should be considered the standard surgical procedure.

Key words

Asthma - carcinoid - sleeve resection - avoidance of parenchymal loss

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