Bronchoscopic photography of a bronchial carcinoid tumor associated with unilateral hypoperfusion of the lung.

A patient with a bronchial carcinoid-producing unilateral hypoperfusion of the lung is described. Bronchoscopic photographs show the adenoma to assume different intrabronchial positions during inspiration and expiration. Although patent during inspiration, the lumen was effectively occluded during expiration. The adenoma exhibited a ball-valve movement which is speculated to be the initial mechanism of hypoperfusion in this setting.