[A case of intratracheal osteoma]

A 75-year-old woman who complained of cough at night and stridor on exertion was admitted for examination of a possible tracheal tumor. Chest radiography and CT showed an intratracheal calcification. Bronchoscopic examination revealed a lobulated tumor on the anterior wall of the trachea, 6 cm below the vocal cord. The tumor was covered with tracheal epithelium. Microscopic findings of the transtracheal biopsy specimen revealed the tumor to be composed of bone tissues covered with normal tracheal epithelium. No cartilage, smooth muscle, or fats tissue were detected, and so a diagnosis of intratracheal osteoma was made. After Nd-YAG laser therapy, the size of the tumor decreased, and clinical findings improved. During periodical follow up after discharge, the residual tumor was expectorated at home on coughing. Histological examination confirmed the tumor to be osteoma. An intratracheal osteoma is very rare, and this case is the first case reported in Japan.