Tubercular tracheobronchial amyloidosis: a rare complication presenting as an endobronchial mass — a case report

Pulmonary amyloidosis often occurs as a part of systemic AL (amyloid light chain) amyloidosis. Localized tracheobronchial amyloidosis is a very rare entity. Most often, it is asymptomatic, or if symptomatic, it usually presents with vague symptoms such as cough, dyspnoea, hoarseness, wheezing, haemoptysis, and rarely respiratory failure. It is commonly misdiagnosed as asthma, tuberculosis, COPD, malignancy, or pneumonia.

We are presenting a case of an elderly male, aged 64 years, who presented with symptoms of productive cough, dyspnoea, wheezing, and significant weight loss over a period of 6 months. Investigations such as bronchoscopy, histopathology, and imaging studies showed an endobronchial mass and left-sided pleural effusion.

Endobronchial amyloidosis generally has a nodular appearance which can imitate an endobronchial tumour. The quality of life is decreased in these patients, and the life expectancy is approximately 8–10 years. Therefore, the early diagnosis of this disease is essential.