Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Mismatch: A Case of Tracheal Hamartoma.

OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate the diagnostic challenge of tracheal hamartoma in a patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

CLINICAL PRESENTATION AND INTERVENTION: A 65-year-old man with COPD was admitted with sudden onset of asphyxia attacks related to the position of his body. Computerized tomography (CT) of the neck showed a soft tissue mass with calcification, which occluded more than two-thirds of the proximal part of the trachea. The tumor was completely removed, and histopathology confirmed hamartoma.

CONCLUSION: This case report showed the detection of a primary tracheal tumor on CT. This finding enabled the correct diagnosis and led to appropriate treatment in the form of surgery.