Skip to content
DraconiticResearch
Search Sources API
203,203 studies31 sourcesUpdated 37 min ago
Peer-reviewedCC BYRespirology case reports

A Rare Endobronchial Lipoma of the Right Middle Lobe Causing Middle Lobe Syndrome and Recurrent Post‐Obstructive Infection in a Patient With Interstitial Lung Disease, Managed by Lung‐Sparing Bronchoscopy

  • Anastasios Palamidas1
  • Kostandinos Papatheodosiou2
  • Evagelia Karagianni3
  • Fotios Daglis3
  • Demosthenes Bouros1
  1. 1Pneumonology Department Athens Medical Center Athens Greece.
  2. 25th Pneumonology Department Sotiria Chest Diseases Hospital Athens Greece.
  3. 3Pathology Department Athens Medical Center Athens Greece.
Read full textPDFDOICite

Abstract

Endobronchial lipomas are rare benign tumours that can cause airway obstruction and recurrent infection. A 70-year-old smoker with combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema presented with recurrent right middle lobe infections and declining pulmonary function. Computed tomography revealed a fat-density lesion obstructing the middle lobe bronchus, with atelectasis and consolidation. Bronchoscopy and histology confirmed lipoma. Given limited respiratory reserve, lung-sparing flexible bronchoscopy with snare electrocautery and argon plasma coagulation restored airway patency; retained purulent secretions were drained and infection treated. At 2 months, the patient was asymptomatic with radiological resolution; FVC improved from 75% to 83% predicted and DLCO from 35% to 50% predicted. Recovery followed concurrent recanalization, drainage and antimicrobial treatment, whose individual contributions cannot be separated. This case highlights bronchoscopic diagnosis and treatment of benign obstruction in persistent middle lobe disease. Longer surveillance is needed to assess durability.

Related

  1. Is endobronchial ultrasound-guided bronchoscopy (EBUS) transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) enough for the diagnosis of mediastinal lymphadenopathy? A cohort analysis
    Kimberly Taha, Patrice Roll, Julie Tronchetti +2
    Respiratory Medicine and ResearchPeer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Full textGeneral biologyOncologyHAL
  2. [Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Interstitial Lung Disease: an underdiagnosed comorbidity].
    Francisco León-Román, Beatriz Pintado-Cort, Mireia Dalmases +7
    Open respiratory archivesPeer-reviewedCC BY-NC-NDFull textPhysiologyEurope PMC
  3. Spontaneous Bilateral Vesical Artery Pseudoaneurysms Presenting With Massive Recurrent Hematuria and Obstructive Acute Kidney Injury: A Case Report
    Dheeraj Kumar Alias Sailish, Amisha Kumari, Hadia Jamil +4
    Clinical case reportsPeer-reviewedCC BYFull textGeneral medicineEurope PMC
  4. Comparative Efficacy of Vancomycin and Fidaxomicin Regimens for the Prevention of Recurrent Clostridioides difficile Infection: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
    C. Prosty, G. Butler-Laporte, J. Brophy +18
    medRxivPreprintAll rights reservedFull textInfectious diseasemedRxiv
  5. Association of Peak Expiratory Flow with Pulmonary Fungal Infection in Hospitalized Patients with Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Single-Center Retrospective Study.
    Awei Deng, Chengfeng Fu, Shengli Yi +1
    International journal of chronic obstructive pulmonary diseasePeer-reviewedCC BY-NCFull textGeneral medicineEurope PMC

Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{palamidas2026rare,
  title = {{A Rare Endobronchial Lipoma of the Right Middle Lobe Causing Middle Lobe Syndrome and Recurrent Post‐Obstructive Infection in a Patient With Interstitial Lung Disease, Managed by Lung‐Sparing Bronchoscopy}},
  author = {Anastasios Palamidas and Kostandinos Papatheodosiou and Evagelia Karagianni and Fotios Daglis and Demosthenes Bouros},
  journal = {Respirology case reports},
  year = {2026},
  month = nov,
  doi = {10.1002/rcr2.70800},
  url = {https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13727364},
  note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - A Rare Endobronchial Lipoma of the Right Middle Lobe Causing Middle Lobe Syndrome and Recurrent Post‐Obstructive Infection in a Patient With Interstitial Lung Disease, Managed by Lung‐Sparing Bronchoscopy
AU  - Anastasios Palamidas
AU  - Kostandinos Papatheodosiou
AU  - Evagelia Karagianni
AU  - Fotios Daglis
AU  - Demosthenes Bouros
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/11/01
JO  - Respirology case reports
DO  - 10.1002/rcr2.70800
UR  - https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13727364
AB  - Endobronchial lipomas are rare benign tumours that can cause airway obstruction and recurrent infection. A 70-year-old smoker with combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema presented with recurrent right middle lobe infections and declining pulmonary function. Computed tomography revealed a fat-density lesion obstructing the middle lobe bronchus, with atelectasis and consolidation. Bronchoscopy and histology confirmed lipoma. Given limited respiratory reserve, lung-sparing flexible bronchoscopy with snare electrocautery and argon plasma coagulation restored airway patency; retained purulent secretions were drained and infection treated. At 2 months, the patient was asymptomatic with radiological resolution; FVC improved from 75% to 83% predicted and DLCO from 35% to 50% predicted. Recovery followed concurrent recanalization, drainage and antimicrobial treatment, whose individual contributions cannot be separated. This case highlights bronchoscopic diagnosis and treatment of benign obstruction in persistent middle lobe disease. Longer surveillance is needed to assess durability.
SN  - 2051-3380
ER  -