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Right arrow Trachea and bronchi

Ann Thorac Surg 2006;81:e24-e26
© 2006 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

Case report

Long-Term Management of Polychondritis with Serial Tracheobronchial Stents

Takahiro Nakajima, MD, Yasuo Sekine, MD, PhD, Mio Yasuda, MD, Kazuhiro Yasufuku, MD, PhD, Akira Iyoda, MD, PhD, Makoto Suzuki, MD, PhD, Kiyoshi Shibuya, MD, PhD, Toshihiko Iizasa, MD, PhD, Takehiko Fujisawa, MD, PhD *

Department of Thoracic Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan

Accepted for publication February 3, 2006.

* Address correspondence to Dr Fujisawa, Department of Thoracic Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University 1-8-1 Inohana, chuo-ku, Chiba, 260-8670 Japan (Email: fujisawat{at}faculty.chiba-u.jp).

A 56-year-old woman was referred to our hospital for airway compromise. Relapsing polychondritis was diagnosed by bronchial cartilage biopsy. Bronchoscopy showed tracheobronchial malacia due to the disappearance of bronchial cartilage as a result of chondritis. Stent insertion using a Dynamic stent (Rüsch; Kernen, Germany), Ultraflex stent (Boston Scientific International, Colombes, France) and TM stent (Fuji Systems Corp, Tokyo, Japan) was repeated for more than 7 years. Dramatic improvement of dyspnea was obtained each time. The patient survived during this period without oxygen inhalation or mechanical ventilation before she suddenly died due to suffocation caused by difficulty of sputum discharge.






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