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Updated: May 21, 2026
07:01
Direct Mouse Trauma/Burn Model of Heterotopic Ossification
Published on: August 6, 2015
Ectopic bone formation in a subsegmental bronchus
Takuma Tsukioka1, Rhoji Yamamoto, Makoto Takahama
1Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Osaka City General Hospital, 2-13-22 Miyakojima Hondori, Miyakojima-ku, Osaka 534-0021, Japan. t-tsukioka@med.osaka-cu.ac.jp
General Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
|June 14, 2012
Summary
A rare case of ectopic bone formation in a subsegmental bronchus was found in a patient presenting with lung symptoms. This condition, involving metaplastic bone, has not been previously reported in medical literature.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonary Medicine
- Histopathology
- Surgical Pathology
Background:
- Bronchial obstructions can lead to significant respiratory compromise.
- Ectopic tissue formation within the respiratory tract is uncommon.
Observation:
- A 48-year-old male presented with fever and dry cough.
- Imaging revealed a calcified mass obstructing the right B(3)b bronchus, causing distal atelectasis.
- Surgical resection confirmed a hard polypoid mass completely blocking the airway.
Findings:
- Histopathology identified metaplastic bone with mature bone marrow tissue originating from the bronchial cartilage.
- This represents the first reported instance of ectopic bone formation within a subsegmental bronchus.
Implications:
- The findings suggest resident fibroblasts may differentiate into osteoblasts under specific conditions, leading to ectopic ossification.
- This case expands the differential diagnosis for bronchial obstructive lesions.
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