Inflammatory bronchial polyps associated with asthma: resolution with inhaled corticosteroid

In a 50 year old man who complained of cough and sputum, a small endobronchial tumour was found in the left main bronchus and was biopsied via bronchoscopy. The histological diagnosis was inflammatory polyp with marked infiltration of eosinophils. Six years later, the patient developed asthma. At the same time, another polyp was found in the posterior basal bronchus of the right lower lobe. The appearance of the first polyp was unchanged endoscopically and histologically. Inhalation of beclomethasone dipropionate, 200 micrograms b.i.d., was started and symptoms of asthma soon subsided. In addition, the two polyps regressed and eventually disappeared after one year of treatment. Inhaled corticosteroids, being noninvasive and relatively safe, appear to be a possible therapeutic option in inflammatory bronchial polyps, especially in cases where the patient has asthma as an underlying condition, or the polyps are small and their management is not urgent.

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