Lung
Cystic disease / congenital anomalies
Bronchial atresia
Author: Elliot Weisenberg, M.D.
Last author update: 1 August 2011
Last staff update: 13 October 2023
Copyright: 2003-2024, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.
PubMed search: bronchial atresia [title]
Cite this page: Weisenberg E. Bronchial atresia. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/lungnontumorbronchialatresia.html. Accessed December 25th, 2024.
Definition / general
- Portion of bronchial tree with normal branching pattern, but without any demonstrable connection to the central bronchial tree
- Congenital abnormality due to focal interruption of lobar, segmental or subsegmental bronchus with associated peripheral mucus impaction (bronchocele, mucocele) and hyperinflation of obstructed lung segment; most commonly affects apicoposterior segmental bronchus of left upper lobe, then segmental bronchi of right upper, middle and lower lobes
- Cause unknown, but appears to occur before birth
- Lobar bronchial atresia can mimic mainstem bronchial atresia on mid trimester ultrasound (Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2011;37:110)
Case reports
- 22 year old woman with pneumothorax and bronchial atresia (Radiographics 2009;29:1531)
