A bronchocele is a mucocele involving a bronchial segment.
Features of a bronchocele:
(1) bronchial segment distended by mucus
(2) presence of a bronchial obstruction
(3) may be associated with an overproduction of mucus
The bronchocele may be seen as an opacity on a chest imaging studies.
Overlapping conditions:
(1) bronchiectasis: ectasia of bronchus secondary to some injury with accumulation of mucus and fluid)
(2) bronchial impaction: bronchus filled with mucus without bronchial obstruction
Conditions causing the bronchial obstruction may include::
(1) bronchial atresia
(2) endobronchial or peribronchial tumor (carcinoid, small cell undifferentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma, endobronchial hamartoma)
(3) foreign body
(4) broncholithiasis
(5) other
