Abstract
We reported a case of intrabronchial leiomyoma and reviewed 44 cases from the Japanese literature. The patient was a 59-year-old woman with a chief complaint of bloody sputum. The diagnosis of leiomyoma of the bronchus was made by bronchofiberscopic biopsy. Wedge resection of the right lower bronchus, bronchoplasty and right S^6 wedge segmentectomy were performed. The removed specimen showed that a tumor with smooth surface had protruded into the bronchial lumen. The tumor was elastic hard and 5×6×6mm in size. In a series of 45 cases, including our case, in the Japanese literature, the sex ratio was equal. Only three of 21 woman had a history of uterine leiomyoma. The average age of presentation was 42.9 years. Common symptoms were cough and sputum. Routine chest X ray film of all except 5 cases showed some abnormal findings. The tumor was mostly located in the trachea or the large bronchus and showed a pedunculated form more frequently than a sessile form. As a rule, the most common treatment has been a surgery preserving lung function. Endoscopic treatment will be more popularly used, especially for the pedunculated form, in the future.
