Wedge Resection of the Right Lobar Bronchus Without Removing Lung Parenchyma in a Case of Typical Carcinoid

Abstract

Background. The efficacy of interventional pulmonology and limited surgery is reported in a case of endobronchial low-grade malignancies including typical carcinoid. Case. A woman in her seventh decade with bloody sputum had a checkup at a nearby hospital. Chest CT revealed an abnormal shadow in the right truncus intermedius. Bronchoscopy revealed a tumor protruding from the right bifurcation of the truncus intermedius. Transbronchial biopsy revealed typical carcinoid. Although transbronchial resection by rigid bronchoscopy was attempted, complete excision was not possible. Therefore we decided to perform wedge resection of the lobar bronchus between the right middle lobe bronchus and lower lobe bronchus without removing lung parenchyma. Result. The postoperative clinical course was stable and the patient was discharged 7 days after the surgery. The loss of pulmonary function was minimal and the patient has remained stable for 4 months. Conclusion. The treatment starategies of typical carcinoid depends on the location of each case. A complete resection could be done in this case with wedge resection of bronchus without removing lung parenchyma. This procedure has the merit of preserving respiratory function. This procedure is recommended in carefully selected cases.