• Korean Journal of Bronchoesophagology
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.81-86
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• 2009

A 57 year old human immune virus(HIV)-positive male presented with a progressive dyspnea for 6 months. Chest CT showed multiple polypoid masses arising from upper tracheal wall. Bronchoscopic examination revealed that multiple large cauliflower-like polypoid tumors was obstructing tracheal lumen. They were diagnosed as multiple squamous papillomas and were removed by Nd:YAG laser photocoagulation and rigid bronchoscopic treatment. The tumors were histologically diagnosed as squamous papilloma infected with human papilloma virus(HPV) type 6 and 11 in in-situ hybridization. Rigid bronchoscopy might be safer and more efficient than flexible bronchoscopy for the treatment of multiple tracheal papillomatosis obstructing tracheal lumen because of easy establishment of airway patency and direct use of rigid bronchoscope itself for tumor resection.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.1028-1034
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• 1996

The leiomyoma of the bronchus is a very rare benign tumor in the lower respiratory tract. Though classical treatment of the bronchial leiomyoma is surgical resection, bronchoscopic tumor resection has been recently applied to selected cases. We experienced two cases of bronchial leiomyomas which were successfully resected under flexible bronchoscopy using Nd-YAG laser and bronchial snare. We speculated that bronchoscopic resection of the bronchial leiomyoma would be an effective and safe way of treatment, and more technical developments should follow.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.86 no.4
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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.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.857-862
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• 1999

In contrast to juvenile laryngeal papillomatosis, which occurs most often in children and teenagers and is usually self limited, soliatry papillomas in adults are one of uncommon tumors of airway, and have a higher incidence of cancer. They are caused by the respiratory infection of human papilloma virus(HPV). They could spread to more distal airways and have a tendency of recurrence after limited surgical excision. Recently endoscopic therapies such as Nd-YAG laser, electrocautery, and cryotherapy provide extremely effective treatment modalities. We report a case of solitary tracheal papillomas in a 48 year-old man who presented with cough, scanty hemoptysis, and functional evidence of central airway obstruction. He was successfully treated by a Nd-YAG laser therapy via fiberoptic bronchoscopy under the local anesthesia.

• Korean Journal of Bronchoesophagology
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• v.14 no.2
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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.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.942-948
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• 1997

Benign Tracheobroncheal tumor is a rare disease such as 1.9% of all tumor of pulmonary origin. Because clinical manifestation of benign tracheal tumor resembles that of broncheal asthma, these patients are usually treated in a way that used in broncheal asthma. Therefore, the diagnosis is delayed. We experienced a case of tracheal neurilemmoma that cured by bronchoscopic laser therapy. A 23-year-old woman visited our hospital because of progressing dyspnea especially during inspiration. She was treated with aminophylline and 2 agonist under the impression of bronchial asthma at a local clinic. But because the symptoms were not relieved and pulmonary function test revealed variable extrathoracic lesion, we conducted bronchoscopy and biopsy. There were $1.5{\times}2cm$ sized movable mass with stalk attached right anterior wall of bronchus. The biopsy result was neurilemmoma. Therefore we conducted bronchoscopic Laser therapy four times and the lesion disappeared in bronchoscopy and chest CT.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.431-438
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• 2002

Background : In order to investigate the usefulness and safety of Natural Stent, we performed this study in a canine model of tracheal stenosis induced using Nd-YAG laser. Materials and Methods : After tracheal stenosis was induced in 12 Mongrel dogs using Nd-YAG laser, either Dumon (n=6) or Natural (n=6) stent was inserted into the trachea. To assess the degree of stent migration and mucostasis, bronchoscopy was performed every week for 4 weeks, after which all stents were removed. One week after stent removal, tracheal stenosis was evaluated by bronchoscopy. Results : The degree of stent migration was not different between the dogs with Dumon stent ($3.0{\pm}0.8$) and those with Natural ($2.0{\pm}1.0$), nor was the degree of mucostasis, at Dumon ($1.7{\pm}0.5$) and Natural Stent ($1.5{\pm}0.6$), respectively. One week after stent removal, the degree of tracheal stenosis was not different between the Dumon ($1.5{\pm}0.5$) and the Natural group ($1.0{\pm}0.4$). In addition, there was no death and the degree of tracheal stenosis remained always within the safe limit (less than 2.0) in all animals. Conclusion : In a canine model of tracheal stenosis induced using Nd-YAG laser, the usefulness and safety of Natural Stent were similar to those of Dumon Stent. A clinical trial is necessary to document the usefulness and safety of Natural Stent in patients with tracheal stenosis.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.76 no.3
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• pp.141-145
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• 2014

Although endobronchial hamartoma is a rare benign tumor, most patients with endobronchial hamartoma have respiratory symptoms such as obstructive pneumonia, hemoptysis, cough, or dyspnea due to bronchial obstruction. It can cause irreversible post-obstructive pulmonary destruction, thus early diagnosis and treatment is very important. Recently, there have been cases of neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) laser and electrocautery procedures for bronchoscopic treatment of malignant or benign central airway obstruction with comparable therapeutic efficacy and few complications. Bronchoscopic cryotherapy is a newly developed technique for management of central airway obstruction. Moreover, it provides diagnostic methods with improving diagnostic yield and safety. We report two cases of endobronchial hamartoma, each diagnosed and definitively treated with bronchoscopic techniques. Endobronchial biopsy and removal was successfully performed by cryotherapy via flexible bronchoscopy without notable complications. Follow-up bronchoscopic examinations excluded residual or recurrent disease.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.494-503
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• 1994

Background: Fibrostenosis of large airway due to tuberculosis is one of the most perplexing clinical problems not only because it can lead to respiratory failure but also because of difficulty in the management. No one technique, such as balloon dilatation or insertion of self expandable metallic stent, has proved totally satisfactory in the management of fibrostenosis. We evaluated the effect of laser therapy in patient with severe fibrostenosis due to tuberculosis. Method: We classified the fibrostenosis to three types by bronchoscopic finding - the diaphragm type: stenosed by fibrous diaphragm, sparing the tracheobronchial wall, the collapse type: stenosed by collapse of the wall due to destruction of the cartilage, and the combined type: stenosed by nonspecific inflammatory scar tissue within internal lumen with collapse of the wall. We have treated 10 patients complaining dyspnea due to with severe fibrostenosis of the diaphargm or the combined type using a neodymiumyttrium aluminum garnet(Nd-Y AG) laser through a flexible bronchoscopy. Results: Eight of the 10 cases improved after laser therapy and maintained during a follow up period of average 31.9 months. All of the cases undergoing laser therapy showed no serious complication to need the therapy. Conclusion: The results of our present study indicate that the Nd-YAG laser therapy is an effective and safe method for the management of selective tuberculous fibrostenosis.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.54-61
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• 2002

Background: Tracheal stenosis is an urgent but uncommon disease. Therefore, primary care clinicians have limited clinical experience. Animal models of a tracheal stenosis can be used conveniently for the learning, teaching, and developing new diagnostic and therapeutic modalities for tracheal stenosis. Recently, a canine model of a tracheal stenosis was developed using a Nd-YAG laser. To describe the methods and results of developed animal model, we performed this study. Methods : Six Mongrel dogs were generally anesthetized and the anterior 180 degree of tracheal cartilage of the animal was photo-coagulated using a Nd-YAG laser. The animals were bronchoscopically evaluated every week for 4 weeks and a pathologic evaluation was also made. Results : Two weeks after the laser coagulation, the trachea began to stenose and the stenosis progressed through 4 weeks. All animals suffered from shortness of breath, wheezing, and weight loss in the 3 weeks after the laser treatment, and two died of respiratory failure just before the fourth week. The gross pathologic findings showed the loss of cartilage and a dense fibrosis, which resulted in a fibrous stricture of the trachea. Microscopy also showed that the fibrous granulation tissue replaced destroyed cartilage. Conclusion : The canine model can assist in the understanding and development of new diagnostic and therapeutic modalities for tracheal stenosis.