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April 10, 2026Open Access

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma masquerading as severe asthma in pregnancy- a case report and literature review

Key Points

To present a rare case of mucoepidermoid carcinoma masquerading as severe asthma during pregnancy.
Case report of a 20-year-old woman at 23 weeks’ gestation.
Evaluation using imaging and bronchoscopy.
Intervention involved electrocautery and argon plasma coagulation.
Diagnosis of low-grade tracheal mucoepidermoid carcinoma.
Identified cause of near-complete airway obstruction.
Successful management of airway obstruction through bronchoscopy.

Abstract

Primary tracheal tumors are rare, particularly in adults, and most are malignant. Mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) of the tracheobronchial tree is an exceptionally uncommon entity, with occurrence during pregnancy being even rarer. A review of the PubMed and Scopus databases reveals only seven reported cases of MEC diagnosed during pregnancy. We report the case of a 20-year-old pregnant woman at 23 weeks’ gestation who presented with a severe asthma exacerbation refractory to standard therapy. Further evaluation revealed a low-grade tracheal mucoepidermoid carcinoma causing near-complete airway obstruction. The patient was successfully managed with interventional bronchoscopy using electrocautery snaring and argon plasma coagulation (APC). This case highlights the importance of early imaging and bronchoscopy in patients with atypical or treatment-refractory asthma, including during pregnancy.

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