Journal Information
Vol. 54. Issue 4.
Pages 235-236 (April 2018)
Share
Share
Download PDF
More article options
Vol. 54. Issue 4.
Pages 235-236 (April 2018)
Letter to the Editor
Full text access
Successful Endoscopic Resection of an Endobronchial Lipoma Using a Percutaneous Gastrostomy Snare Device
Resección endoscópica con éxito de un lipoma endobronquial utilizando un dispositivo percutáneo de asa para gastrostomía
Visits
4682
René Agustín Flores-Franco
Corresponding author
rflores99@prontomail.com

Corresponding author.
, Luis Fernando González-Calzadillas, Stephanie Cota-Castro
Internal Medicine and Thoracic Surgery Divisions, Regional General Hospital “Dr Salvador Zubirán Anchondo”, Chihuahua, Chih., Mexico
This item has received
Article information
Full Text
Bibliography
Download PDF
Statistics
Figures (1)
Full Text
Dear Editor:

Endobronchial lipomas are rare benign tumors which are amenable to endoscopic management both for diagnosis and treatment. Excluding those cases that merits surgical treatment, endoscopic mechanical debulking in conjunction with other techniques actually are the preferred method of treatment as it results in complete resection and preserve lung parenchyma.1 These tumors are poorly vascularized and patients rarely present with hemoptysis, and if that is the case, it has been mainly attributed to post obstructive pneumonia or bronchiectasis rather than the tumor itself.2 With all of this in mind, we recently decided to resect a previously histologically confirmed endobronchial pedunculated lipoma which obstructs the intermediary bronchus (Fig. 1A) from a 69-year old never smoker man who has a history of recurrent right lower pneumonia and with the aid of a cold snare device (Fig. 1B) intended for percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (Cook Medical). In a similar way as described by other authors using a polypectomy electric snare,3 we grasp the endobronchial lipoma with the snare introduced in the 2.6mm working channel of an Olympus LF-TP flexible fiberscope which in turn was placed through the rigid bronchoscope to the right main bronchus. The open snare was carefully positioned around the lipoma taking care to grasp its pedicle. Once the snare has been closed, a clean cut was obtained under the large part of the lipoma with minimal blood loss. The resected lipoma and the scarce residual lipomatous tissue were finally removed with a large forceps (Fig. 1C).

Figure 1.

(A) Computed tomography showing the endobronchial lipoma blocking the right main bronchus (white arrow). (B) Our snare mounted in the flexible bronchoscope. (C) 15-mm lobulated soft tissue mass of almost excised lipoma.

(0.15MB).

The successful use of an electrosurgical snare to resect endobronchial lipoma has already been described by other authors,3–5 but actually there are no reports using a cold snare. Our method requires a precise diagnosis since other endobronchial lipomatous tumors that are radiologically and macroscopically very similar with lipomas are more amenable for bleeding complication.2 Already corroborated the correct histopathological diagnosis, a second endoscopic procedure will be required to resect the lipoma. Our diagnosis of endobronchial lipoma was performed during a first rigid bronchoscopy and by means of large excisional biopsy that reasonably excluded other pathologies. During the second endoscopy, the gelatinous consistency of the tissue did not allow us to complete the removal of the large tumor remnant with only forceps. Endobronchial lipomas generally initiate in the submucosa and histological analysis of the lesions reveals lobes of mature fat cells, either partially or totally surrounded by a fibrous capsule without a prominent vasculature. This is the reason why in situations where conventional bronchoscopic ablative therapies are not available, an endobronchial neoplasia compatible with a lipoma could be resected with an improvised instrumentation with minimal risk of bleeding.

If there is a risk of long-term recurrence of this tumor using endoscopic debulking techniques, this is an issue yet to be defined by researchers, but for the moment our main goal was to avoid recurrent post-obstructive infections and their sequelae.

References
[1]
A.H. Nassiri, H. Dutau, D. Breen, A. Colchen, J.J. Quiot, B. Nguyen, et al.
A multicenter retrospective study investigating the role of interventional bronchoscopic techniques in the management of endobronchial lipomas.
Respiration, 75 (2008), pp. 79-88
[2]
L. Wang, M. Bansal, G.Q. Xiao.
Endobronchial lipoma in a never smoker.
Int J Respir Pulm Med, 2 (2015), pp. 4
[3]
A.J. Rodrigues, D. Coelho, S.A. Dias Júnior, M. Jacomelli, P.R. Scordamaglio, V.R. Figueiredo.
Minimally invasive bronchoscopic resection of benign tumors of the bronchi.
J Bras Pneumol, 37 (2011), pp. 796-800
[4]
S. Shinohara, T. Hanagiri, M. Takenaka, S. Oka, Y. Chikaishi, Y. Shigematsu, et al.
An endobronchial lipoma successfully resected by high-frequency electric snare. A report of 2 cases.
J Bronchol Interv Pulmonol, 19 (2012), pp. 68-71
[5]
V.Dy. Rajany, S. Patel, K. Harris, M.J. Mador.
Endobronchial lipoma causing progressive dyspnea.
Respir Med Case Rep, 22 (2017), pp. 95-97
Copyright © 2017. SEPAR
Archivos de Bronconeumología
Article options
Tools

Are you a health professional able to prescribe or dispense drugs?