Aetiologic Diagnosis and the Efficacy of Interventional Treatment of Intraluminal Central Airway Spheroid Masses

Objective To explore the diagnosis of, clinical characteristics of and effects of interventional therapy for intraluminal central airway spheroid masses. Methods Forty-four patients with intraluminal central airway spheroid masses were summarized retrospectively, and the clinical characteristics and therapy were analysed. Results Cough and shortness of breath were the predominant symptoms, followed by hemoptysis, fever and chest pain. The aetiologic diagnoses were 12 cases of inflammatory granulomas, 5 cases of foreign matter, 5 cases of squamous carcinoma, 4 cases of leiomyoma, 3 cases of lipomyoma, 2 cases of inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor, and one case each of glomus tumor, adenocarcinoma, mucoepidermoid carcinoma, malignant melanoma metastasis, carcinoid, adenoid cystic carcinoma, chondrosarcoma, combined small cell carcinoma, hamartoma, mixed tumor, neurilemmoma, acidophilic adenoma and salivary gland tumor. The numbers of masses located in the trachea, left main bronchus, right main bronchus and bronchus intermedius were 20, 13, 7, and 4, respectively. Electrocautery snare and electrocoagulation probe was the most commonly used interventional therapy method, followed by argon plasma coagulation and cryotherapy; stent implantation was used in 1 case. Thirty-five cases achieved a complete response or partial response after treatment, 8 cases achieved a mild response, and 1 had no response. Conclusion The symptoms of intraluminal central airway spheroid masses were atypical and easily misdiagnosed or missed; benign lesions were the leading cause, and the first pathological type was inflammatory granuloma. Endoscopic intervention was the effective, safe technique.