Tracheal bronchus

Imaging description Tracheal bronchus is an uncommon anomaly in which an ectopic bronchus arises from the trachea above the carina. It can occur on either side, but is more common on the right. On CT imaging, a bronchus is seen arising from the trachea cephalad to the carina [1–3] (Figures 2.1 and 2.2). This can be easily seen on axial sections, but coronal imaging displays the tracheal bronchus to best advantage (Figure 2.3). Importance A tracheal bronchus to the right upper lobe occurs in 0.1–2% of cases and to the left upper lobe in 0.3–1% of cases. Typically a tracheal bronchus is an incidental finding on CT chest in an adult patient and is asymptomatic. However, a tracheal bronchus can be associated with symptoms. When symptomatic, the tracheal bronchus usually presents in childhood [4, 5].