Bronchial Obstruction

Key Features

• Causes include

  • Airway secretions

  • Aspirated secretions or gastric contents

  • Foreign body

  • Bronchomalacia

  • Airway tumor

  • Extrinsic compression by mass, lymph node or blood vessel

• Recurrent pneumonia in the same location or slow resolution (> 3 months) of a pulmonary opacity on successive radiographs suggests obstruction

Clinical Findings

• Dyspnea, cough, wheezing, and pulmonary infection may occur

• Radiographs may show

  • Atelectasis

  • Postobstructive infiltrates

  • Air trapping

• CT scan may demonstrate the nature and exact location of obstruction

Diagnosis

• Bronchoscopy is required for definitive diagnosis

Treatment

• Treatment of infection, if present

• Brochoscopic electrocautery, argon plasma coagulation, and laser and radiofrequency ablation may be used

• Definitive treatment depends on the cause of the obstruction