Medical Image of the Week: Bronchial Clot

This patient was admitted from oncology clinic for ten days of hemoptysis on Coumadin.  Her laboratory data on admission showed a platelet count of 14,000/μL and an INR of 4.5.  She was found on bronchoscopy with her right mainstem completely occluded by a clot.  A cryoprobe was used and the clot was removed in one piece as seen above in a 4 x 4 container.  The clot was notable to have the cast of the right mainstem bronchial rings as well as impressions of the right upper, right middle, and right lower lobe bronchus.  The entire length of the clot was approximately four centimeters. 

Wendy Hsu, MD and Yuval Raz, MD

Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine

Arizona Respiratory Center

University of Arizona

Reference as: Hsu W, Raz Y. Medical image of the week: bronchial clot. Southwest J Pulm Crit Care 2012;5:296. PDF