Balloon dilation and airway stenting for benign and malignant tracheal stenosis / 介入放射学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To assess the effectiveness of balloon dilation and airway stenting performed under fluoroscopic guidance for the treatment of benign and malignant tracheal stenosis. Methods Under fluoroscopic guidance,balloon dilation and airway stenting were performed in 45 patients with tracheobronchial stricture. Of the 45 patients, malignant tracheal stenosis was seen in 37, including mediastinal nodal metastases (n = 14), esophageal carcinoma (n=13), lung carcinoma (n = 4), adenocarcinoma of bronchus (n = 3), lymphoma (n = 2) and laryngocarcinoma (n = 1), and benign tracheal stenosis was seen in 8, including endobronchial tuberculosis (n = 6), retrosternal thyroid adenoma (n = 1) and endotracheal intubation (n = 1). Airway stenting with serf-expandable metal stent was employed in 38 patients and balloon dilation in 7 patients. All the procedures were performed under fluoroscopic guidance. Results A total of 53 self-expandable metal stents was implanted in 38 patients. The clinical symptoms were immediately relived after the procedure in all patients except for one patient who died from choking of sputum. No stent migration was observed. Restenosis developed in 4 patients, which was successfully treated with repeated stenting and balloon dilation. Nineteen times of balloon dilation procedure were accomplished in 7 patients. Marked remission of clinical symptoms was seen in most cases. During a follow-up period (ranged from 0 to 124 months with a mean of 24.5 months) 31 patients died. Conclusion For both benign and malignant tracheal stenosis, balloon dilation with airway stenting performed under fluoroscopic guidance is a safe and efficient therapy with instant curative effect in relieving clinical symptoms.