Broncholiths
Historical document, translated for reference. It reflects medical knowledge of the 1920s–30s and is not medical advice.
Summary
This article defines broncholiths as concretions formed within the bronchial lumen, typically composed of thickened mucus impregnated with calcareous salts. It notes their rarity, their association with bronchiectasis, and the potential for them to cause symptoms similar to foreign bodies in the airway.
Encyclopedia entry (1928–1936)
BRONCHOLITHS, broncholithon (from the Greek bronchos—bronchus and lithos—stone), bronchial stones, concretions forming in the lumen of the bronchi. Broncholiths consist of thickened mucus impregnated with calcareous salts. They have a rounded shape and are no larger than a cherry pit (occasionally larger). They are encountered rarely; they form most often in the cavities of saccular bronchiectasis (see). If a broncholith falls out of a bronchiectasis into the bronchial lumen, symptoms of a foreign body in the respiratory tract may develop. One must distinguish true broncholiths from stony formations that may appear in the bronchial lumen as a result of the rupture into it of a calcified caseous focus from adjacent lung tissue or a bronchial lymph node.
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Cite this page
“Broncholiths.” Soviet Medical Encyclopedia. English translation of Bolshaya Meditsinskaya Entsiklopediya, 1st ed. (Moscow, 1928–1936), ed. N. A. Semashko. https://sovietmedicalencyclopedia.com/article/broncholiths/