DIFFUSE AIRWAY NARROWING FROM CARCINOMA METASTATIC TO THE BRONCHIAL SUBMUCOSA - IDENTIFICATION BY CHEST CT

The differential diagnosis of dyspnea in patients with prior malignanc y and nondiagnostic chest radiographs is broad. We report a case of br east carcinoma diffusely metastatic to the bronchial submucosa present ing as obstructive airway disease. Chest radiographs failed to suggest metastatic disease as the cause of dyspnea, CT, however, revealed the unusual finding of diffusely thickened and narrowed airways, Carcinom a confined to airway submucosa was identified using bronchial biopsy. We suggest that diffuse airway narrowing from submucosal metastasis ca n be demonstrated by CT and should be added to the differential diagno sis of dyspnea in cancer patients with nondiagnostic chest radiographs and evidence of airflow obstruction.