Carinal leiomyoma: a cause for acute respiratory distress

Leiomyomata of the respiratory tract are rare neoplasms with an incidence of 0.34%, almost exclusive occurrence in adults and a slight female preponderance.1 Similar lesions are exceptionally encountered in children and a remarkable feature is their occurrence on a background of immunodeficiency states and concomitant Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection.2 We report multi-centric leiomyomata in a young patient; HIV status was not known, but immuno-markers for EBV were negative. A young patient had presented to the emergency medical services with sudden exacerbation of breathlessness and cough that had been present for nearly 6 months. Clinical examination suggested collapse of the left lung and foreign body aspiration. Radiological investigations revealed …