OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinical characteristics of bronchial tumors in 3 children to improve the diagnosis of pediatric bronchial tumor.

METHODSThree cases of children bronchial malignant tumors diagnosed by rigid bronchoscopy were analyzed retrospectively.

RESULTSThe 3 children were males, aged from 6 to 10 years old, and presented with cough, sputum, and fever symptoms for 1 day to 3 months. Chest CT scan and airway remodeling examinations indicated the children's main bronchi were blocked and then the diagnoses of bronchial foreign bodies were made. However bronchial tumors were found in the 3 children by rigid bronchoscopy and were determined as mucoepidermoid carcinoma, large cell lung carcinoma with rhabdoid phenotype, and inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor, respectively.

CONCLUSIONSChildren with bronchial tumor often present with cough, wheezing and other respiratory symptoms that are not specific to bronchial tumor. When a child complaint of repeated cough and wheezing symptoms with unknown cause, not only bronchial foreign body and also bronchial tumor should be considered.

Bronchi ; pathology ; Bronchoscopy ; Carcinoma, Mucoepidermoid ; diagnosis ; Child ; Cough ; Foreign Bodies ; Humans ; Male ; Respiratory Sounds ; Retrospective Studies ; Tracheal Neoplasms ; diagnosis