Leiomyomas of the lung: report of 5 cases with literature review

cases with leiomyoma of the lung, previously reported 22 cases in the literatures and 5 cases in our hospital, were reported. The tumors located in tracheobronchial trees in 18 patients and in the peripheral lung field in 9 patients. Two of them were found to be in the pulmonary vessels. 70.4% of the patients were under 40 years of age. The main clinical manifestations were cough, chest pain, hemoptysis, fever, repeated pneumonitis and dyspenea due to obstruction of the main airway. This disease was usually misdiagnosed as adenoma, tuberculoma or lung cancer. It is diffecult to make a correct diagnosis only by chest X ray examination. Fiberoptic bronchoscopic biopsy is helpful to it. Conservative surgery may be a good choice of therapy. Nd YAG laser resection is effective for broncheal leiomyoma.