Tracheobronchopathia Osteochondroplastica: End Stage of Tracheo-Bronchial Amyloidosis?

Tracheobronchopathia osteochondroplastica is a rare idiopathic disease of the trachea and the main bronchi, characterized by multiple submucosal osteocartilaginous nodules. Although the etiology of tracheobronchopathia osteochondroplastica remains unknown, several theories have been proposed. We report a case of a 47-year-old non-smoker woman with wheezing dyspnea over the past two years, which was treated as asthma without improvement. Investigations, including chest computed tomography scan, fiberoptic bronchoscopy, and endobronchial biopsy, indicated tracheobronchial amyloid light-chain (AL) amyloidosis. Thirteen years later, she was admitted for cough and wheezing. The bronchoscopic examination demonstrated nodular lesions distributed along the cartilaginous rings of the lower portion of the trachea and the main bronchi. Endobronchial biopsy confirmed tracheobronchopathia osteochondroplastica. We found tracheobronchopathia osteochondroplastica to be the end stage of amyloidosis.