Abscessing bronchioloectasia with elements of plasma cell granuloma

A 79-year-old male was admitted to the hospital with the complaint of bloody sputum. Chest X-ray revealed an abnormal shadow in the right upper lobe. Macroscopically, the lesion measured about 3.5 x 2.5 x 2.0 cm with a central cavity containing pus. Histologically, the lesion was composed of interlacing fibroblastic proliferation with abundant plasma cell infiltration and central cavitation. The inner surface of the cavity wall was partially covered by bronchial epithelial cells; there was no cartilage found, suggesting that the lesion had developed from chronic inflammatory processes in relation to ectatic bronchioles. Since the pathogenesis of plasma cell granuloma (PCG) has not been well established, it is probable that this case represents one stage in the development of classic PCG.