Child with mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the trachea

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma originates from the submucosal glands of the tracheobronchial tree. It is structurally homologous with exocrine salivary glands. It is a rare tumour, consisting of 0.1% to 0.2% of primary lung malignancies. Complete surgical resection is the treatment of choice and is associated with an excellent prognosis. Here we present a case where a boy in his teenage years came with a dry cough and haemoptysis. Contrast-enhanced CT confirmed the presence of a polypoidal enhancing space-occupying lesion arising from the right anterolateral aspect of the carina, protruding into the right main bronchus, causing near complete narrowing. The initial biopsy suggested a benign polyp, which led to complete excision of the polyp using an electro-cautery snare. The repeat histopathology suggested a low-grade muco-epidermoid carcinoma, which further required surgical sleeve resection of the distal trachea.