Computed tomography diagnosis of post-obstructive atelectasis by an endobronchial lipoma

Endobronchial lipoma is a rare benign tumor in the bronchial tree. We report a case of endobronchial lipoma in a 73-year-old man with hemoptysis. Chest radiograph revealed atelectasis of the right upper lung. Bronchoscopy revealed a well-defined endobronchial lesion in the right upper lobe bronchus with near total occlusion, but a biopsy was not performed. An endobronchial tumor was identified on CT scan with demonstration of fat within the tumor. Endobronchial lipoma was diagnosed and a sleeve lobectomy of the right upper lobe bronchus was performed. The pathological diagnosis was submucosal lipoma. The patient's symptoms improved during follow-up of more than 1 year. CT scan can be used to diagnose endobronchial lipoma and can help in the development of a management plan.