The purpose of this work is to describe the radiological features of the main non-neoplastic conditions of the tracheobronchial wall and their correlation with bronchoscopy images.

Non-neoplastic lesions of the tracheobronchial wall are rare. However, they constitute a group of heterogeneous diseases that can cause severe respiratory symptoms and, sometimes, be associated with systemic disorders, which can have a significant impact on the quality of life of the patient. Therefore, it is of paramount importance for the general radiologist to be familiar with the imaging characteristics of these abnormalities. In order to better understand these radiological features, it is important to remember some anatomical characteristics of the tracheobronchial wall: The trachea...

The non-neoplastic lesions of the tracheobronchial wall have different aetiologies. We will review the main radiological characteristics of the following abnormalities: relapsing polychondritis, granulomatosis with polyangiitis, osteochondroplastic tracheobronchopathy, tracheobronchial amyloidosis, papillomatosis, post-intubation stenosis, idiopathic stenosis, Mounier-Kuhn syndrome and bronchial anthracofibrosis. 1. Relapsing polychondritis Rare auto-immune syndrome characterised by the destruction of the cartilage, especially from the auricle (90%), nose (50%), tracheobronchial wall (50%) and peripheral joints. The laryngotracheobronchial presentation is seen in 10% of the cases, but in approximately 50% of these, the disease will...

The morphological characteristics of the tracheobronchial abnormalities (stenosis or enlargement of the trachea, smooth or nodular wall thickening, calcification, lung parenchymal involvement...) and their location (anterior or posterior tracheal wall, upper and/or lower respiratory tract, focal or diffuse) are important features for an adequate differential diagnosis. For example, sparing of the posterior tracheal wall narrows the diagnosis into two possible conditions: relapsing polychondritis or osteochondroplastic tracheobronchopathy. Other tools such as multiplanar, volume rendering or virtual bronchoscopic reconstructions of the trachea might have an important role...

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