• Korean Journal of Bronchoesophagology
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• 제10권2호
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• pp.5-8
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• 2004

Stenosing airway disease is classified as intraluminal obstruction, extrinsic compression, and malacia by the anatomical site of the lesion. Stenting therapy is indicated for symptomatic relief of life-threatening dyspnea caused by the last two types. Airway stents are made with metal mesh and/or silicone rubber, and currently more than 20 kinds of stent are available. Among many kinds of silicone stent, the Dumon stent is mostly widely used for benign and malignant airway stenoses, but general anesthesia and rigid bronchoscopy are needed for insertion. It can be removed when the stenosing airway disease subsides completely. In many clinical studies, most patients $(85-90\%)$ improved immediately after stenting, and procedure-related mortality was low $(<3\%)$ in experienced centers. Stent displacement, mucus impaction, and granulation tissue formation are potential complications. Stenting is one of many effective therapeutic modalities for stenosing central airway disease. Careful patient selection, experiences, and continuous development of new technology will bring better results.

• Korean Journal of Bronchoesophagology
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• 제15권1호
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• pp.50-55
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• 2009

Objectives: Endoscopic airway dilatation and stenting has been developed to treat the airway stenosis without potential morbidities of open surgery. We report the clinical results of endoscopic airway dilatation with silicone stenting in patients with posttuberculous bronchial stenosis(PTBS) and with severe main tracheal stenosis who have poor general conditions Methods : A prospective observation study of five patients, who have undergone endoscopic airway dilatation and silicone stenting between Feb 2007 and Feb 2009. A total of twelve patients were treated with endoscopic airway dilatation, among them 5 patients were included in this study. three patients were treated with newly designed silicone stent (Natural stent: TNO Co., Seoul, South Korea) because of poor surgical conditions and longer stenotic segment Results: 3 patients were grade III PTBS, and the other 2 patients were grade IV post tracheotomy main tracheal stenosis. One patient of PTBS were treated with silicone stent following endoscopic dilatation because of longer stenotic segment. Two patients of main tracheal stenosis patients were treated with silicone stent because of tracheal lumen collapse. There was no severe postoperative complications except mild granulation tissue formations Conclusions : Endoscopic dilatation including silicone stenting could be a useful method for treating patients with PTBS, and for main tracheal stenosis patients with poor general surgical conditions

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제76권6호
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• pp.292-294
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• 2014

Primary tracheal amyloidosis (PTA) can lead to airway obstructions, and patients with severe PTA should undergo bronchoscopic interventions in order to maintain airway patency. Focal airway involvements with amyloidosis can only be treated with mechanical dilatation. However, the PTA with diffused airway involvements and concomitant cartilage destructions requires stent placement. Limited information regarding the usefulness of silicone stents in patients with PTA has been released. Therefore, we report a case of diffused PTA with tracheomalacia causing severe cartilage destruction, which is being successfully managed with bronchoscopic interventions and silicone stent placements.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제86권4호
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• pp.245-250
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• 2023

The healing process of tracheobronchial tuberculosis (TB) results in tracheobronchial fibrosis causing airway stenosis in 11% to 42% of patients. In Korea, where pulmonary TB is still prevalent, post-TB tracheobronchial stenosis (PTTS) is one of the main causes of benign airway stenosis causing progressive dyspnea, hypoxemia, and often life-threatening respiratory insufficiency. The development of rigid bronchoscopy replaced surgical management 30 years ago, and nowadays PTTS is mainly managed by bronchoscopic intervention in Korea. Similar to pulmonary TB, tracheobronchial TB is treated with combination of anti-TB medications. The indication of rigid bronchoscopy is more than American Thoracic Society (ATS) grade 3 dyspnea in PTTS patients. First, the narrowed airway is dilated by multiple techniques including ballooning, laser resection, and bougienation under general anesthesia. Then, most of the patients need silicone stenting to maintain the patency of dilated airway; 1.5 to 2 years after indwelling, the stent could be removed, this has shown a 70% success rate. Acute complications without mortality develop in less than 10% of patients. Subgroup analysis showed successful removal of the stent was significantly associated with male sex, young age, good baseline lung function and absence of complete one lobe collapse. In conclusion, rigid bronchoscopy could be applied to PTTS patients with acceptable efficacy and tolerable safety.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• 제48권5호
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• pp.512-517
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• 2005

Purpose : In adults, endoscopic tracheobronchial balloon dilatation and stenting have become valuable methods to establish and maintain an adequate airway lumen when tracheomalacia or neoplastic growth compromise the airways. But in children, only a few cases were reported due to technical problems. We report six children who were treated with stent implantation and describe the use and safety of airway stents. Methods : Six patients with severe airway obstruction were treated. We investigated the underlying medical problems, stenotic site, symptomatic improvement and complications, and the size and location of stent. Results : The median age of the six patients was 21 months. Three of them were mechanically ventilated and one had an endotracheal tube to maintain the patency of airway. Diagnoses were : congenital tracheal stenosis with or without bronchomalacia, granulation tissue formation after right upper lobectomy by bronchial carcinoid or after prolonged intubation, endobronchial tuberculosis, and airway compression by mediastinal undifferentiated sarcoma. Nitinol stents were implanted in the airway guided by bronchoscopy and fluoroscopy simultaneously. Three cases were placed in trachea, the others were in the bronchus. After stent implantation, all patients showed marked improvements of their airway obstructive symptoms. Four patients are doing well, although two expired due to underlying diseases. Four patients had granulation tissue formation around stents, but that was tolerable after removing the stent. Conclusion : We suggest that the use of expandible metallic stent implantation can offer safe therapeutic option even in extremely severe, life threatening and inoperable airway stenosis in children.

• Korean Journal of Bronchoesophagology
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• 제10권2호
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• pp.17-21
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• 2004

Background Insertion of tracheal stent in the treatment of benign tracheal & bronchial disease has increased since the introduction of expandable metallic stent. Material & Methods : Between Jan, 1995 and Feb. 2004, eight patients who had benign tracheo-bronchial disease underwent insertion of expandable metallic tracheal stent. We retrospectively analyzed stent insertion indications, complications, and following the result. Results : Surgical indications were post-intubation tracheal stenosis (1 case), tracheal stenosis following tracheal surgery (2 cases), tracheo-esophageal fistula (2 cases), broncho-pleural fistula(1 case), left main bronchus stenosis following bronchoplasty (1 case), and left main bronchus stenosis due to mediastinal repositioning (1 case). Expandable metallic tracheal stent was inserted in five patients to resolve dyspnea caused by airway obstruction, and to prevent recurrent pneumonia in three patients. The complication developed in 6 patients $75\%$; 3 cases of distal stenosis due to growth of granulation tissue, and one case each of tearing of posterior membrane, aggravation of tracheo-esophageal fistula, and airway partial obstruction due to stent migration. The stent was removed in 5 patients and tracheal surgery (tracheal resection and end to end anastomosis with primary repair of esophagus, pericardial patch tracheo-bronchoplasty, tracheal repair and omental wrapping) was performed in 3 patients. Conclusion Insertion of self expandable metallic stent in benign tracheo-bronchial disease is an effective means of relieving dyspnea for only a short period, and it did not increase the long term survival. Better means of treatment of benign tracheo-bronchial stenosis in necessary.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제59권1호
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• pp.62-68
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• 2005

Background : The clinical results of a Natural stent in patients with a benign tracheobronchial stenosis were examined by comparing the clinical outcomes and complications of those patients who underwent Dumon and Natural stenting in the management of benign airway stenosis. Methods : The medical records of 94 patients (39 Dumon and 55 Natural stent) with a benign tracheobronchial stenosis were reviewed and analyzed. Results : Post-tuberculous stenosis was the leading indication for airway stenting (74%), which was followed by post-intubation stenosis (21%). After intervention, the dyspnea had improved among those patients who underwent Dumon (90%) and Natural (86%) stenting. After stabilizing the dyspnea, the stent could be successfully removed in half of the patients who underwent both Dumon (54%) and Natural (49%) stenting. During the 42 month follow-up period, the complication rate was similar in those patients who underwent Dumon and Natural stenting: migration (46% vs 53%), granulation tissue formation (36% vs 49%), mucostasis (21% vs 16%) and restenosis (51% vs 36%). Conclusion : The clinical results of Natural airway stent was similar to those of Dumon stent in the management of benign tracheobronchial stenosis.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• 제33권1호
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• pp.47-52
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• 2017

Anaplastic thyroid cancer is a rare disease entity consist 2% of whole thyroid cancer but once diagnosed, it is too fatal to survive. Airway obstruction is a leading cause of death in anaplastic thyroid cancer, which may be caused by both vocal cord palsy, mass effect of the cancer or direct invasion of the cancer itself to the tracheal lumen. Tracheal stent insertion can be a solution for airway compromised cases where surgical excision cannot be performed. The advantage is that the airway problem can be solved without invasive procedure. In this case, we tried expandable tracheal stent insertion for 66 years-old man with anaplastic cancer who visited ER for small amount of hemoptysis and dyspnea. There was severe tracheal narrowing and deviation due to the anaplastic thyroid cancer, ECMO (Extra Corporal Membrane Oxygenation) was used instead of a tracheal intubation for general anesthesia.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제78권1호
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• pp.31-35
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• 2015

An 18-year-old woman was evaluated for a chronic productive cough and dyspnea. She was subsequently diagnosed with mediastinal non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). A covered self-expandable metallic stent (SEMS) was implanted to relieve narrowing in for both main bronchi. The NHL went into complete remission after six chemotherapy cycles, but atelectasis developed in the left lower lobe 18 months after SEMS insertion. The left main bronchus was completely occluded by granulation tissue. However, the right main bronchus and intermedius bronchus were patent. Granulation tissue was observed adjacent to the SEMS. The granulation tissue and the SEMS were excised, and a silicone stent was successfully implanted using a rigid bronchoscope. SEMS is advantageous owing to its easy implantation, but there are considerable potential complications such as severe reactive granulation, stent rupture, and ventilation failure in serious cases. Therefore, SEMS should be avoided whenever possible in patients with benign airway disease. This case highlights that SEMS implantation should be avoided even in malignant airway obstruction cases if the underlying malignancy is curable.

• Korean Journal of Bronchoesophagology
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• 제14권2호
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• pp.10-16
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• 2008

Surgical resection and reanastomosis has been the treatment of choice in patients with tracheobronchial stenosis. Recent development of bronchoscopic intervention has been replacing the role of surgery in these patients. After summarizing the upto date data of bronchoscopic intervention, the proper management of tracheobronchial stenosis will be presented. Bronchoscopic intervention would be much effective when performed under rigid bron- choscopy, due to the stable patients' condition and endoscopic view. The usual method of intervention includes ballooning, Nd-YAG laser resection, bougienation, mechanical airway dilatation, stenting and photodynamic therapy. Silicone stents are very effective in patients with tracheobronchial stenosis to maintain airway patency. Bronchoscopic intervention provided immediate symptomatic relief and improved lung function in most of patients. After airway stabilization, stents were removed successfully in 2/3 of the patients at a 12-18 months post-insertion. Less than 5% of patients eventually needs surgical management. Acute complications, including excessive bleeding, pneumothorax, and pneumomediastinum develops in less than 5% of patients but managed without mortality. Stent-related late complications, such as, migration, granuloma formation, mucostasis, and restenosis are relatively high but usually controlled by follow-up bronchoscopy. In conclusion, bronchoscopic intervention, including silicone stenting could be a useful and safe method for treating tracheobronchial stenosis.