A 69-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with a faint infiltrative shadow in the right middle lung field on chest X-ray in August 1996. In addition to inflammatory changes in right S² and S³, an intrabronchial elliptical mass with a low CT number (mean number: -144 HU), was noted in the right upper bronchus on chest high resolution computed tomogram (HRCT). Fiberoptic bronchoscopy revealed a yellowish-orange polypoid lesion in the right upper bronchus, and bronchial biopsy demonstrated proliferation of fat tissue in the submucosa. Bronchial lipoma was subsequently diagnosed. Because HRCT findings indicating extrabronchial growth of the tumor, surgical resection was performed in October 1996, when extrabronchial growth of the tumor was confirmed.
When extrabronchial growth of a bronchial tumor is suspected based on CT findings, surgical treatment should be considerd even for a benign bronchial tumors.