Solitary primary tracheal small-cell lung cancer causing acute respiratory failure: diagnosis and treatment.

Small-cell lung cancer often presents as an extensive cancer, and rarely as a solitary tracheal tumor. We report a 41-year-old male smoker with dyspnea and wheezing that was initially diagnosed as asthma and treated with bronchodilators. He was later intubated for acute respiratory failure, and computed tomography revealed a tracheal mass. Solitary primary small-cell lung cancer was diagnosed via bronchoscopic biopsy. The patient received bronchoscopic electro-surgery and was successfully extubated. Concurrent chemo-radiotherapy was performed due to the stage IV small-cell lung cancer.