Adult Bronchial Inflammatory Myofibroblastic Tumor: A Case Report

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) is a neoplasm originating from mesenchymal tissue and can occur in multiple parts of the body, such as the lungs, abdomen, pelvis, and retroperitoneum. Although the lung is a relatively common site for IMT, airway involvement in adults is rare, and most reported cases involve the central airway. Reports of IMT arising within the bronchus are uncommon.

We, herein, report the case of a 72-year-old male patient with bronchial IMT who was admitted due to a recurrent cough that worsened over two weeks. Tumor markers showed no significant elevation, and imaging examinations suggested a tumor in the left upper lobe bronchus. Due to the suspicion of malignancy, the patient underwent thoracoscopic left upper lobectomy. Postoperative pathological examination revealed an inflammatory myxoid myofibroblastic tumor of the left upper lobe bronchus. During a 12-month postoperative follow-up, no significant signs of metastasis or recurrence were observed.

We have reported the case of endobronchial IMT in an adult, with a degree of contrast enhancement on CT lower than that previously reported for intratracheal IMT. The tumor lacks specific clinical symptoms and laboratory findings, which poses a challenge for accurate and timely preoperative diagnosis. Based on literature reports, in patients with recurrent cough, hemoptysis, or dyspnea, if CT shows a smoothly marginated endobronchial nodule with mild enhancement, the possibility of this disease should be considered.