[Granular cell tumour in a patient with pulmonary tuberculosis]

Primary tracheal tumours are rare and often only cause symptoms at a late stage, when the tumour obstructs most of the tracheal lumen. We report the case of a 45-year-old woman with pulmonary tuberculosis and a tumour in the trachea, which had been interpreted as a tuberculous lymph node perforating the tracheal wall. Bronchoscopy revealed a white, glossy, papillomatous lesion in the ventral wall of the trachea, which was identified by histology as a granular cell tumour. After culture conversion of the underlying tuberculosis, which led to the detection of the lesion, the tumour was surgically removed. Granular cell tumours rarely appear in the trachea, they may be multifocal and sometimes follow a malignant course. Complete resection is the treatment of choice and recurrence rates are low.