Zaki Tarek, Mashal Moustafa S, AlAttar Mohammed, Almashad Alshimaa, Gómez-Seco Julio
College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, ARE.
Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, EGY.
Cureus. 2025 May 9;17(5):e83776. doi: 10.7759/cureus.83776. eCollection 2025 May.
Tracheobronchopathia osteochondroplastica (TPO) is a rare, benign condition characterized by submucosal osseocartilaginous nodules sparing the posterior tracheal wall. We report a unique case of a 45-year-old male with a history of smoking, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and papillary thyroid carcinoma, in whom TPO was incidentally discovered during intraoperative bronchoscopy for hemithyroidectomy. The patient was asymptomatic from a respiratory standpoint, but bronchoalveolar lavage identified and methicillin-resistant (MRSA), suggesting a possible role of chronic infection in TPO pathogenesis. Diagnosis was confirmed through imaging and histopathology, revealing typical tracheal nodularity with no airway obstruction. No specific treatment was required for TPO, and the patient was managed conservatively with antibiotics for airway colonization. This case highlights the importance of recognizing TPO during unrelated procedures to avoid misdiagnosis and supports the hypothesis of infection-driven chronic inflammation contributing to its development.
骨软骨化生型气管支气管病（TPO）是一种罕见的良性疾病，其特征是黏膜下骨软骨结节不累及气管后壁。我们报告了一例独特病例，一名45岁男性，有吸烟史、胃食管反流病（GERD）和乳头状甲状腺癌病史，在因半甲状腺切除术进行术中支气管镜检查时偶然发现了TPO。从呼吸角度来看，患者无症状，但支气管肺泡灌洗发现了耐甲氧西林金黄色葡萄球菌（MRSA），提示慢性感染可能在TPO发病机制中起作用。通过影像学和组织病理学确诊，显示典型的气管结节状且无气道阻塞。TPO无需特殊治疗，患者通过使用抗生素治疗气道定植进行保守处理。该病例强调了在无关手术过程中识别TPO以避免误诊的重要性，并支持感染驱动的慢性炎症导致其发展的假说。
