Benign tumours of the bronchus and trachea, 1951-1981.

A review has been made of 128 benign tumours of the bronchus seen at a Regional Thoracic Surgery Centre during the 30-year period, 1951-1981. These have included 74 cases of carcinoid tumour of the bronchus and 38 cases of hamartoma. The similarity of the histological appearances of carcinoid to oat cell carcinoma is stressed, together with its clinical implications. A 5-30-year follow-up of the cases of bronchial carcinoid shows that it is essentially a benign tumour, though late recurrence may occur. The use of the somewhat forgotten technique of a Gebauer skin graft in bronchoplastic surgery is described.