Bronchial narrowing

Bronchial stenosis, or bronchial strictures, are descriptive terms to denote regions of focal narrowing involving the bronchi. They can arise from a wide variety of etiologies.

Pathology

Etiology

It can arise from a large range of etiological factors, which include:

• tracheobronchial malignancies
• non-malignant growths
  • tracheobronchial papillomatosis
• infective-inflammatory causes
  • endobronchial tuberculosis 
  • granulomatosis with polyangiitis
  • relapsing polychondritis
  • tracheobronchial amyloidosis
  • sarcoidosis
  • as an extra-intestinal manifestation of inflammatory bowel disease
  • bronchial anthracofibrosis 
• other causes
  • post-surgery (e.g. post lung transplant)
  • tracheobronchopathia osteochondroplastica
  • broncholithiasis
  • Keutel syndrome

Radiographic features

CT 

Allows direction visualization of the segments of narrowing (MinIP images may be additionally helpful). May also show resorptive (obstructive) atelectasis of segments of lung distal to the stenosis.

See also

• tracheal stenosis