Clinical study of dark-blue pigmentation in the bronchial mucosa. |
In Won Park, Chul Gyu Yoo, O Jung Kwon, Young Whan Kim, Sung Koo Han, Young Soo Shim, Keun Youl Kim, Yong Chol Han |
Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea |
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Abstract |
Dark-blue pigmentation has been thought to be related to smoking or occupational exposure and has been regarded as anthracitic pigmentation. It is also frequently observed in non-smokers without occupational exposure, but there is no proven mechanism of pigmentation.
To investigate clinical features and to find other causes of dark-blue pigmentation, retrospective analysis was done in 59 patients who showed anthracitic pigmentation on bronchoscopy during recent 5 years in Seoul National Unversity Hospital.
The results were as follows;
1) Forty cases were non-smokers, while smokers were 19 cases.
2) Fifteen cases had history of tuberculosis, but there was no history of environmental exposure.
3) Mediastinal calcification was observed in 89.7% .
4) There was significant bleeding without exception when biopsy was done at the pigmentation site.
5) In patients with pigmentation only, hemoptysis and productive cough were main chief complaints, and chest X-ray showed atelectasis, infiltration, mass, or pleural change 6) The number of patients whose lesion of X-ray corresponds to pigmentation site were 19/ 30 in tuberculosis, 4/ 30 in DILD and 7/ 30 in other diseases. |
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