A bronchial leiomyoma is a relatively rare form of lung tumours. These tumours can form in the

lower respiratory tract The respiratory tract is the subdivision of the respiratory system involved with the process of respiration in mammals. The respiratory tract is lined with respiratory epithelium as respiratory mucosa. Air is breathed in through the nose to th ...

tissue of the

bronchi A bronchus is a passage or airway in the lower respiratory tract that conducts air into the lungs. The first or primary bronchi pronounced (BRAN-KAI) to branch from the trachea at the carina are the right main bronchus and the left main bronchus. ...

trachea The trachea, also known as the windpipe, is a Cartilage, cartilaginous tube that connects the larynx to the bronchi of the lungs, allowing the passage of air, and so is present in almost all air-breathing animals with lungs. The trachea extends ...

and other lung tissue. They may also be derived from

blood vessel The blood vessels are the components of the circulatory system that transport blood throughout the human body. These vessels transport blood cells, nutrients, and oxygen to the tissues of the body. They also take waste and carbon dioxide away ...

s. These tumors typically form from the

smooth muscle Smooth muscle is an involuntary non-striated muscle, so-called because it has no sarcomeres and therefore no striations (''bands'' or ''stripes''). It is divided into two subgroups, single-unit and multiunit smooth muscle. Within single-unit mus ...

tissue lining the bronchi. They grow as a solitary tumor attaching themselves to the sides of the bronchi.

Diagnosis

This type of tumor can be mistaken for

asthma Asthma is a long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wheezing, cou ...

or chronic pulmonary obstructive disease. The determination of a leiomyoma is done by

chest x-ray A chest radiograph, called a chest X-ray (CXR), or chest film, is a projection radiograph of the chest used to diagnose conditions affecting the chest, its contents, and nearby structures. Chest radiographs are the most common film taken in med ...

s, blood sample and taking a

tissue sample In medicine, sampling is gathering of matter from the body to aid in the process of a medical diagnosis and/or evaluation of an indication for treatment, further medical tests or other procedures. In this sense, the sample is the gathered matter ...

of the tumor. An associated test is for

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...

, but the results are negative for this infection.

Treatment

Surgical removal is the usual treatment to remove the tumor. A less invasive method of removing a small leiomyoma is through a bronchioscopy. Recovery is usually complete.

Epidemiology

Bronchial leiomyomas are only 0.1% to 2% of benign lung tumours.-a protocol Bronchial lyeiomyomas comprise 33–45% of respiratory system leiomyomas. People usually develop the tumor in middle age. These growths appear in men and women at the same rate.

History

The first bronchial leiomyoma was described by in 1909.

References

{{Respiratory and intrathoracic neoplasia , state = collapsed Benign neoplasms Respiratory system neoplasia