Rare clinical diagnosis of dendriform pulmonary ossification

Dendriform pulmonary ossification, defined as "widespread heterotopic bone formation within the lungs," is a rare entity, which is usually diagnosed upon post-mortem examination. The case of a 43-year-old man with dendriform pulmonary ossification is presented. In this patient's case, thoracoscopic biopsy was an excellent diagnostic modality for identifying dendriform pulmonary ossification. Although this entity has been reported rarely, with improved technology and survival we might expect its prevalence to increase. (C) 2001 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons.