HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Personal Folders Download to citation manager Permission Requests Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Schmidt, B. Articles by Witt, C. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Schmidt, B. Articles by Witt, C. Related Collections Related Article

Ann Thorac Surg 2000;69:1985
© 2000 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

---

Correspondence

Reply

^a Division of Pneumology, Department of Internal Medicine I, Medical School (Charité) of the Humboldt University of Berlin, Schumannstr 20/21, D-10098 Berlin, Germany

e-mail: bschmidt{at}ccharite.de

To the Editor

In their interesting letter, Shimokawa and colleagues comment on our paper [1] in which we described the strategy of temporary airway stenting in malignant lymphoma. In this approach, stent implantation is followed by tumor-specific therapy. And the stents are removed when successful therapy leads to reduction of the stenoses.

Complete stenosis of a main bronchus due to intraluminal growth of malignant lymphoma is very rare and does need immediate intervention. In the case reported above, age and computed tomography were highly suspicious of malignant lymphoma. One might discuss whether the risk of an open thoracotomy is not higher than the risk of a bronchoscopic biopsy in a vascularized tumor. Once the histology was known, one could have done radio- or chemotherapy without prior surgery. One could even think about radiotherapy on the basis of clinical information and clearly visible advanced tumor in bronchoscopy.

As for the recanalization of obstructed airways, we have had very good experiences with contact application of the Nd:YAG laser. This application was also used in malignant lymphoma. In our experience, this technique with a bare fiber allows better control of the local effects and merits further clinical evaluation.

References

1. Schmidt B., Massenkeil G., John M., Arnold R., Witt C. Temporary tracheobronchial stenting in malignant lymphoma. Ann Thorac Surg 1999;67:1448-1450.[Abstract/Free Full Text]

This article has been cited by other articles:

				B. Kiani, C. M. Magro, and P. Ross Jr Endobronchial presentation of Hodgkin lymphoma: a review of the literature Ann. Thorac. Surg., September 1, 2003; 76(3): 967 - 972. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Personal Folders Download to citation manager Permission Requests Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Schmidt, B. Articles by Witt, C. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Schmidt, B. Articles by Witt, C. Related Collections Related Article