Tracheal bronchus and associated pathologies detected by multidetector-row computed tomography in the Vietnamese population

Abstract

Tracheal bronchus (TB) is a very rare condition, which is often associated with some other pathologies. This study was designed to characterize the morphology of tracheal bronchus and associated pathologies in Vietnamese individuals using multidetector-row computed tomography (MDCT). From August 2016 to February 2021, 16, 64-, and 128-detector-row computed tomography scanners were used to perform chest scans of 3663 patients, of whom 32 had tracheal bronchus and associated pathologies. The prevalence of tracheal bronchus was 0.9%, of which 0.6% were male and 0.3% were female. We found that one patient had bilateral tracheal bronchus (3.1%) and 31 patients (96.9%) had right-sided tracheal bronchus. Most patients (75.1%) had type II tracheal bronchus, whereas 15.6% and 6.2% had type III and type I tracheal bronchus, respectively. The average distance from the tracheal bronchus to the carina was 6.6 ± 6.4 mm. The average diameter of the tracheal bronchus was 4.4 ± 2.2 mm; the group with 2-4-mm tracheal bronchus accounted for the highest proportion (46.9%). Associated pathologies included congenital heart diseases (i.e., valvular heart disease, tetralogy of Fallot, cyanotic congenital heart disease-APSO, and aortic coarctation) (43.7%), stenosis of the bilateral pulmonary arteries (15.6%), absent left pulmonary artery (6.2%), stenosis of the right pulmonary artery (3.1%), anomalous pulmonary venous connection (3.1%), stenosis of the trachea (3.1%), stenosis of the left main bronchus (3.1%), bronchogenic cyst (3.1%), and bronchial atresia (3.1%), and the remaining 12.5% had no abnormalities. tracheal bronchus is a very rare abnormality among Vietnamese and is often accompanied by other pathologies. MDCT with a high spatial resolution and a good tissue contrast, along with contrast agent and appropriate scanning protocols, is efficient in detecting tracheal bronchus and associated pathologies.

Keywords: Associated pathologies; Bronchus; Multidetector-row computed tomography; Trachea; Tracheal bronchus.