Tracheal Diverticulum as a Cause of Recurrent Infection in Post-Lung Transplant Patients: A Report of 2 Cases

Tracheal diverticulum (TD) is a rare entity in clinical practice, accidentally found by imaging methods. It is a potential factor for the development of chronic respiratory infections, contributing to the progression of preexisting lung diseases and putting the success of lung transplantation at risk.

This paper reports 2 cases of TD with atypical clinical presentation in post-lung transplant patients with recurrent infections and aims to present the importance of this differential diagnosis.

Case 1: A 30-year-old man with terminal lung disease underwent bilateral lung transplantation with a satisfactory postoperative period. He presented with TD as a focus of recurrent infection associated with persistent hemoptysis. Indicated for surgical resection (cervicotomy with resection of tracheal diverticulum), without complications. He evolved uneventfully in the postoperative period and was clinically stable at follow-up. Case 2: A 57-year-old woman with hypersensitivity pneumonia associated with secondary pulmonary arterial hypertension and bronchiectasis underwent bilateral lung transplantation without complications. She presented with TD as a focus of infection associated with esophageal symptoms. Indicated for the surgical approach (cervicotomy with resection of tracheal diverticulum), she was asymptomatic at follow-up.

Conservative treatment is recommended in elderly and asymptomatic patients. Surgical resection is based on the recurrence of symptoms and failure of clinical therapy and is the preferred approach for reported cases.