An 11-year-old girl was referred to our institution with complete obstruction of the left main stem bronchus by an endoluminal mass and was successfully treated by a combination of laser and mechanical debulking. Coring of the mass both allowed histological diagnosis (inflammatory myofibroblastic tumour) and definitive treatment with no recurrence after 3 years of follow-up. This case report emphasizes the major role of interventional bronchoscopy in the management of tumoural obstruction in children in whom benign conditions are frequent. Interventional bronchoscopy, which is minimally invasive when compared to surgery, in the vast majority of cases allows a precise diagnosis as it provides large samples of tissue removed during coring; in some cases it can be curative by itself and preserves lung parenchyma and function.
(c) 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel.