Primary tracheal non-Hodgkin lymphoma: case report with an emphasis on computed tomography findings

A 24-year-old male presented with productive cough associated with fever, dyspnea, and hoarseness. A chest radiograph showed nonhomogeneous air-space consolidations, mainly in the middle and inferior zones of both lungs, with cavitations and peribronchial thickening. The computed tomography scan demonstrated irregular, lobulated narrowing of the trachea, and parenchymal consolidations containing air bronchogram, peribronchial thickening, and cavitations. Afterward, the patient was referred for a bronchoscopy with a biopsy of the tracheal mucosa. The samples were submitted to immunohistochemical analysis and revealed a diagnosis of diffuse large B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma of the trachea. A culture of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid revealed Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Antibiotic treatment was proposed as a first treatment. The patient did not receive intensive chemotherapy because of his comorbid conditions and died 2 months later.