Background: Mucoepidermoïd carcinomas (MEC) are very rare (less than 20 cases reported in the literature) and potentially malignant bronchial gland carcinomas.
Patients: Three children, two boys (11 and 7 years old) and one girl (5 years old) suffered from respiratory symptoms such as cough, recurrent pneumonia and/or hemoptysis for 2 to 12 months. Bronchial endoscopy showed a mass into the left (two cases), or the right main bronchus (one case). Chest CT scan identified local extension, and lung-associated lesions. Histopathological study concluded to MEC in the three cases. The patients were treated by segmental bronchial resection, completed with left upper lobectomy (two cases), bronchotomy (one case). All the tumor could be removed; there was no metastasis. The outcome was uneventful with a 8 to 24 months follow-up.
Conclusion: Bronchial tumors of children must be considered in patients with chronic cough, recurrent pneumonia and/or hemoptysis and require bronchial endoscopy for their diagnosis.