A Case of Primary Tracheal MALT Lymphoma Treated as Chronic Cough of Unknown Cause with a Delayed Diagnosis

Abstract

Background. Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma is a low-grade B-cell lymphoma that develops in various organs. However, primary tracheal MALT lymphoma is rare. Case. An 82-year-old woman had been aware of unproductive cough for over six years. She had undergone chest computed tomography (CT) four and six years ago, but no abnormal findings were noticed. Although she was given medication for chronic cough of unknown cause, her condition did not improve. CT performed on admission for another disease unexpectedly revealed small lesions in the trachea. Bronchoscopy revealed multiple small nodular mucosal lesions, and the pathologic findings of the biopsied specimen revealed MALT lymphoma. Conclusion. We encountered a rare case of tracheal MALT lymphoma treated as chronic cough of unknown cause that took a long time to diagnose due to a small lesion in the trachea. To make a diagnosis in such cases, CT interpretation should be focused on minor tracheal abnormalities, and bronchoscopy should be conducted if necessary.