Endobronchial Lipomas Research Articles

Endobronchial Lipoma: A Report of Three Cases

Although lipomas are common benign neoplasms of soft tissue, endobronchial lipoma is rare. We have treated three patients with endobronchial lipoma over the five years. In two of them lesions were located in segmental or subsegmental bronchi and produced no symptoms. There are very few such cases reported in the English medical literature. In the first case, pneumonectomy was performed because of destruction of the lung due to recurrent pneumonia. The second case had no symptoms and the tumor was located at the bifurcation of right B4a and B4b. A right middle lobectomy was performed, because the distal end of the tumor could not be visualized by fiberoptic bronchoscopy. In the third case, which was a case of lung cancer, an endobronchial lipoma was found during fiberoptic bronchoscopy, and was completely removed endoscopically. Due to their benign nature, endobronchial lipomas should be initially treated with endoscopic surgery or endoscopic laser vaporization. Nevertheless, if the tumor is large and dumbbell-shaped on tomography or CT, endoscopic procedures are not appropriate. Furthermore, if destructive pulmonary change due to the tumor is severe, the remaining peripheral lung will not recover after endoscopic procedures, even if they are removed successfully. When the biopsy specimen is too small to allow evaluation of the whole tumor, surgical resection should also be considered for definitive diagnosis.

Endobronchial Lipoma

Computed tomography was performed in two patients with endobronchial lipomas. Bronchoscopy was inconclusive, but CT provided the definitive diagnosis by demonstrating fat within the endobronchial tumor.

Endobronchial Lipoma

An endobronchial lipoma has been studied with light, scanning, and transmission electron microscopes, and the literature has been reviewed. Endobronchial lipoma is a type of hamartoma unique only in terms of its specific adult-type fat cell and its location. Of 49 endobronchial lipomas, eight have been reported in obese persons. The neoplasm appears to propagate at its peripheral zone through continuous incorporation and fusion of globules of fat in the spindle-shaped precursor cells. Although benign pulmonary tumors make up about 3 percent and endobronchial lipomas only about 0.1 percent of all pulmonary tumors, benign endobronchial tumors may cause unnecessary morbidity and mortality if not properly managed.

Endobronchial lipoma: A review with four cases

Endobronchial lipomas are rare benign tumours which can cause irreversible pulmonary damage unless removed early. The clinical features and treatment of four cases are reviewed in the light of the previous literature. The histogenesis of these tumours and their relationship to hamartomas are discussed. The treatment of choice in most cases is bronchoscopic excision.