Successful treatment of refractory bronchorrhea by inhaled indomethacin in a patient with bronchioloalveolar cell carcinoma

Abstract

Background: Bronchorrhea is sometimes seen in patients with bronchioloalveolar cell carcinoma, but no effective treatment for this clinical symptom has been established. Case: A 55-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with productive cough and increasing dyspnea. Chest roentgenogram and computed tomography of the chest showed bilateral diffuse infiltrative shadows. Transbronchial lung biopsy revealed adenocarcinoma. Sputum volume increased and dyspnea deteriorated. Within a few days after the initiation of treatment with inhaled nebulized indomethacin (75 mg/day), sputum volume started to decrease with alleviation of dyspnea and hypoxemia. Conclusion: We confirmed the efficacy of inhaled indomethacin on severe refractory bronchorrhea in a patient with bronchioloalveolar cell carcinoma, resulting in marked reduction of sputum volume and improving the quality of life of the patient.