A Case of Bronchial Fibrolipoma

Abstract

Bronchial fibrolipoma is a very rare tumor. A case of fibrolipoma arising from the right middle lobe bronchus (B^5) was reported. A 57 year-old man complaining of fever and cough consulted a local physician 2 months prior to admission to our department. A chest X-ray film revealed an infiltrative shadow in the right middle and lower lung fields and he was treated with antibiotic therapy on a suspicion of pneumonia. His symptoms was improved but the abnormal pulmonary shadow persisted. Bronchography revealed complete obstruction of the orifice of right B^5. Bronchofiberoptic examination demonstrated a slightly hard, yellow tumor with a sharp margin in the orifice of B^5. Right middle lobectomy was performed on a suspicion of benign bronchial adenoma. Histological examination of the resected specimen showed mature abundant fatty tissue intermingled with fibrous tissue, and a diagnosis of fibrolipoma was made. Only 4 cases have been reported in Japan, including this case. Clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic problems were discussed together with a literature review.