Mounier-Kuhn syndrome: a rare and dangerous condition

An 84-year-old woman with repeated episodes of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease over the last few months, with cough, laryngeal stridor, and dys- pnea, underwent a computed tomography scan of the neck and thorax. It revealed the presence of a diverticu- lum (Figure 1). Bronchoscopy revealed additional elem- ents of tracheocele: a pseudocystic lesion at the level of the cervical trachea on the right posterolateral side (Figure 2). The lesion had a broad collar and simulated a false tracheal lumen filled with mucous fluid. The association of tracheal diverticulosis, bronchiectasis, and repeated infections of the lower respiratory tract Asian Cardiovascular & Thoracic Annals 21(3) 369 ß The Author(s) 2012 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav DOI: 10.1177/0218492312450166 aan.sagepub.com Figure 2. Bronchoscopic view of the tracheocele. is called Mounier-Kuhn syndrome. Given the advanced age of the patient and underlying disease, we opted for conservative management.