Solitary Endobronchial Papilloma: A Rare Entity

Solitary papillomas of the lower airways are uncommon clinical entities that present a diagnostic challenge because they are not usually considered among the differential diagnoses. Reliable clinical data about their presentation and treatment remain scarce. We describe a case of an elderly male who presented to us with cough and hemoptysis. He had been a smoker for 50 years. Chest radiograph revealed hyperinflated lungs and slight hilar enlargement on the right side. Bronchoscopy revealed a polypoid mass at the origin of the right upper lobe bronchus. Biopsy showed it to be a papillomatous growth composed of squamous epithelial cells. No malignant cells were detected microscopically. Patient declined surgical removal of this papilloma. He was fine on followup visits during the subsequent months. In patients with hemoptysis, solitary endobronchial papilloma should also be considered in the differential diagnosis.