Spiral CT and endoscopic findings in a case of tracheobronchopathia osteochondroplastica

The following is a report of CT and bronchoscopic findings in a 58-year-old man, a miner for approximately 30 years and suffering from pulmonary silicosis, admitted for a restaging of his lung disease. CT scans showed thickening of the interstitial structures and revealed a distorted trachea, with changes of its caliber, because of nodules of calcific density in the internal mucosa, clearly separated from the cartilaginous rings. The patient underwent fiberoptic bronchoscopy, confirming the presence of numerous nodules on the anterior and lateral walls, sparing the pars membranacea. Brushing and biopsies revealed a squamous metaplasia. 99mTc bone scintigraphy showed no abnormal mediastinal uptake. The radiological and endoscopic picture was compatible with the diagnosis of tracheobronchopathia osteochondroplastica.