Transbronchoscopic versus surgical resection of tracheobronchial granular cell myoblastomas. Suggested approach based on follow-up of all treated cases.

The case of a 31-year-old patient with a granular cell myoblastoma causing significant obstruction of the distal trachea is presented. A review of the literature suggests that size may help in deciding whether bronchoscopic removal or surgical resection should be performed. Fifty-four percent of the tumors removed bronchoscopically whose follow-up was described showed recurrent disease. All tumors removed bronchoscopically whose diameter was 1 cm or greater recurred. The correlation of full-thickness involvement of the tracheal wall with increasing tumor size appears to explain the failure of bronchoscopic treatment of these tumors. A suggested surgical approach to these rare tumors is proposed.