Lung

Cystic disease / congenital anomalies

Bronchial atresia



Last author update: 1 August 2011
Last staff update: 13 October 2023

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PubMed search: bronchial atresia [title]

Elliot Weisenberg, M.D.
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Cite this page: Weisenberg E. Bronchial atresia. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/lungnontumorbronchialatresia.html. Accessed March 29th, 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
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