[Dieulafoy's disease of the bronchus: a case report and review of the literature].

OBJECTIVE

To describe the characteristics of Dieulafoy's disease of the bronchus.

METHODS

One patient with Dieulafoy's disease of bronchus was described and relevant literatures were reviewed.

RESULTS

Bronchial Dieulafoy's disease is extremely rare, characterized by the erosion of an anomalous artery in the submucosa of bronchus. The etiology of Dieulafoy's disease of bronchus is still unknown, but congenital vascular malformation and airway chronic inflammation or bronchial injury have been postulated. The sudden onset of massive hemoptysis and fatal hemorrhage caused by biopsy injury are common manifestations. Bronchial and pulmonary angiography is a very useful examination before operation, and histopathological diagnosis can be made by the examination of the surgical specimen and the necroscopic specimen. Selective bronchial artery embolization could be proposed as a method for stopping the bleeding, but it may fail and bleeding may recur. At present, lobectomy of the lung is a fundamental approach.

CONCLUSIONS

Bronchial Dieulafoy's disease should be included in the differential diagnosis of cryptogenic hemoptysis, and if a cone-shaped endobronchial protrusion is found by bronchoscopic examination, care should be taken for potential danger of a biopsy.