Bronchial flap closure of the lower membranous trachea

A novel method for closure of the lower membranous trachea after right pneumonectomy using a flap derived from the cartilaginous portion of the right main bronchus is described in this study. This technique was used successfully in patients with tracheal stenosis due to a giant posterior mediastinal tumor known as schwannoma. Because of the severe tracheobronchial stenosis and destroyed right lung, tumor resection combined with resection of the lower membranous trachea and right pneumonectomy was carried out. We closed the defect in the membranous lower trachea with the flap derived from the right main bronchus. The clinical course was uneventful.     

Postoperative airway stenosis and stent therapy in carinal reconstruction for lung cancer.

A 48-year-old male had adenocarcinoma of the right upper lung lobe that invaded the lower trachea. The right upper lobe, the carina, and 5 rings of the lower trachea were resected. The carina was reconstructed using end-to-end anastomosis between the trachea and right intermediate bronchus, with the left main bronchus anastomosed to the side wall of the intermediate bronchus. Two months after surgery, the right intermediate bronchus developed bronchomalacia and the tracheal anastomosis granulatory stenosis. Bronchomalacia was treated with 2 expandable metallic stents, and granulatory stenosis with a Dumon stent. Although the silicone stent successfully dilated the granulatory stenosis, the metallic stents caused delayed glanulatory stenosis. We concluded that a metallic stent is not desirable for treating postreconstructive airway stenosis including bronchomalacia, whereas a Dumon stent may be effective.     

Postoperative airway stenosis and stent therapy in carinal reconstruction for lung cancer

A 48-year-old male had adenocarcinoma of the right upper lung lobe that invaded the lower trachea. The right upper lobe, the carina, and 5 rings of the lower trachea were resected. The carina was reconstructed using end-to-end anastomosis between the trachea and right intermediate bronchus, with the left main bronchus anastomosed to the side wall of the intermediate bronchus. Two months after surgery, the right intermediate bronchus developed bronchomalacia and the tracheal anastomosis granulatory stenosis. Bronchomalacia was treated with 2 expandable metallic stents, and granulatory stenosis with a Dumon stent. Although the silicone stent successfully dilated the granulatory stenosis, the metallic stents caused delayed glanulatory stenosis. We concluded that a metallic stent is not desirable for treating postreconstructive airway stenosis including bronchomalacia, whereas a Dumon stent may be effective.     

Diagnosis and management of major tracheobronchial injuries

From 1968 to 1978, 14 patients were treated for major tracheal or bronchial injury. Five injuries resulted from blunt trauma and nine from penetrating injury. Of the 5 patients with injury due to blunt trauma, three had avulsions of the right main bronchus from the trachea. In 2 of them, the injury was associated with stellate tears of the distal trachea and bronchus. The simple avulsion was repaired by a primary anastomosis of the right main bronchus to the distal trachea. For the other 2 patients, treatment consisted of right pneumonectomy. The remaining 2 patients in this group had complete transection of the trachea and underwent primary repair. Of the 9 patients with a penetrating injury, 4 had lacerations of the cervical trachea which were treated with neck exploration and tracheostomy. Three patients with partial transections of the cervical or upper mediastinal trachea were treated by primary closure. The other 2 patients had gunshot wounds to the distal right lateral trachea, which were treated by right thoracotomy and primary closure. There were no deaths, and the subsequent course was generally good in all patients.     

Clinical significance and measurement of the length of the right main bronchus

It is important for surgeons, pathologists, anesthetists and anatomists to know the length of the right main bronchus. It extends from the carina of the trachea to the origin of the right upper lobe bronchus, but an exact method for measuring it has never been described. Using bronchography, the authors measured the length of the right main bronchus in 24 patients. The posteroanterior projection taken at a standard distance (1.8 m) from the patient was used to minimize distortion due to the technique; if present, the distortion would not be more than 5% and would be an increase rather than a decrease in length. The mean length of the right main bronchus was found to be 1.09 cm (range from 0 to 2.9 cm). The clinical importance of this measurement is discussed. The authors conclude that many anatomy textbooks err in describing the length of the right main bronchus as 2.0 to 5.0 cm, but are correct in describing the left main bronchus as being about 5 cm long.     

Pexis of the great vessels for patients with tracheobronchomalacia in infancy

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Aortopexy has been established as a surgical treatment for tracheobronchomalacia in infancy. However, the effects in patients with bronchial involvement remain controversial. The authors performed aortopexy and pexis of the pulmonary artery trunk (PApexy) for patients with tracheobronchomalacia. METHODS: Between 1992 and 1997, 14 infants with tracheobronchomalacia were treated. Patients ranged in age from 4 months to 7 years (median, 3.5 years). Using patients' records, intraoperative bronchofiberscopic results and clinical outcomes were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: Concerning tracheomalacia, aortopexy eliminated airway collapse as shown by intraoperative fiberscopic results and clinical outcome in 4 patients. Regarding tracheobronchomalacia, aortopexy eliminated collapse of the trachea and the right main bronchus in 3 patients but did not improve collapse of the lower half of the left main bronchus in 3 patients, which was eliminated by PApexy. Aortopexy eliminated airway collapse of the left main bronchus in 1 of 3 patients with bronchomalacia. PApexy eliminated collapse of the lower half of the left main bronchus in 1 patient. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that intraoperative bronchofiberscopic results were closely correlated to the clinical outcome, and suggest that aortopexy is helpful for eliminating collapse of the right main bronchus and the proximal half of the left main bronchus and that PApexy eliminates collapse of the distal half of the left main bronchus.     

Stenting for postoperative airway stenosis due to traumatic tracheobronchial rupture

A 43-year-old man underwent repair for the broken trachea, left main bronchus and right main brouchus due to trauma. Twenty-seven months after the initial surgery, he developed dyspnea and required ventilatory support. Computed tomography showed severe stenosis of the left main bronchus, tracheomalasia and bronchomalasia of right main bronchus. A self-expandable metallic stent (SEMS) was placed in the bilateral main bronchus and T-tube in the trachea. SEMS developed granulatory and cicatricial stenosis of the airway, which caused severe dyspnea. Replacement of SEMS with Dumon stents was successfully done and dyspnea was disappeared. A silicon stent should be used for treating postreconstructive airway stenosis including tracheobronchomalasia.     

Bilateral lung transplantation using a donor with a tracheal right upper lobe bronchus

We report on a case of successful bilateral sequential lung transplantation using a donor with the right upper lobe bronchus arising from the trachea. After en-bloc donor lung retrieval, the right bronchial stump was fashioned to create one lumen including the bronchus intermedius and the aberrant right upper lobe bronchus. A carinoplasty was performed in the recipient with resection of a portion of the lateral wall of trachea. The anastomosis was completed using a telescoping technique without any complication. This case demonstrates the possibility of successfully using donor lungs with such anatomic abnormality for transplantation.     

A case of tracheal neurilemoma

A 54-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with a complaint of cough and severe exertional dyspnea. Her pulmonary function was remarkably decline, especially forced expiratory volume in 1 second was 410 ml (28.7%). A chest X-ray film showed an abnormal shadow in the right tracheobronchial portion. Chest CT and MRI scans showed a 38 x 46 mm round tumor in the carina involving the lower trachea and right main bronchus. Bronchoscopic examination revealed a submucosal tumor which obstructed the orfice of the right main bronchus. Pathological examination of tissue obtained by open excisional biopsy revealed a benign neurilemoma. Then we performed a tumor extirpation with tracheal partial resection and the defect of tracheobronchial wall was repaired by direct suture. Postoperative course was uneventful and her pulmonary function was improved. The tracheobronchial neurilemomas are rare. In this report we discuss the therapeutic management of a neurilemoma of the trachea on the basis of 12 domestic cases reviewed.     

Granular cell myoblastoma of the bronchus in a child: A case report

Granular cell myoblastoma of the right main bronchus in a 5-year-old girl is reported. The tumor extended to the lower trachea from the right main bronchus which was occluded completely by the tumor. The diagnosis was established histologically by a obtaining bronchoscopic biopsy specimen. Right pneumonectomy was carried out to control pulmonary suppuration caused by the tumor obstruction of the bronchus. External radiotherapy and interstitial brachytherapy were successfull to control the growth of the residual tumor. She has been free from symptoms for about 12 years after the treatment.     

Carinal resection and reconstruction for recurrent lung cancer

A patient with a recurrent tumor in the trachea adjacent to the right main bronchus was treated by surgical resection 19 months after undergoing surgery for the primary cancer. The patient had previously undergone right upper lobectomy for T1N0M0 stage I squamous cell carcinoma. A carinal resection was performed which included 4 rings of the trachea, 2 rings of the righ main bronchus, and 1 ring of the left main bronchus. Reconstruction consisted of an end-to-end anastomosis of the trachea and left main bronchus, and an end-to-side anastomosis of the right and left main bronchi. The postoperative course was uneventful, and at present the patient is healthy 12 months following reoperation.     

Tracheoplasty--a new operation for complete congenital tracheal stenosis

This is a report of a case of complete congenital tracheal stenosis confirmed by tracheobronchogram. The stenosis also involved the origin of the right main bronchus. The membranous portion of the trachea was absent. It was repaired through a sternotomy and right thoracotomy aided by partial cardiopulmonary bypass. The posterior trachea was opened from larynx to carina and on into the right main bronchus, and each posterior tracheal edge was sewn to the anterior wall of the esophagus with a running Prolene suture. Three months after repair bronchoscopy showed that the new membranous trachea was epithelialized and the entire airway was of good caliber; the only problem was a diffuse tracheomalacia. He died in his seventh postoperative month after a major airway complication due to tracheotomy, which occurred after an elective bronchoscopy. It is obvious that this operation is technically feasible. It was hoped that his airway would become sufficiently stable to allow the tracheotomy tube to be removed at some time in the future.     

累及气管下段右侧壁和上腔静脉的右上肺癌的外科治疗

目的：探讨累及气管下段右侧壁和上腔静脉的右上肺癌外科治疗策略及其疗效。方法累及气管下段右侧壁和上腔静脉的T4期肺癌外科治疗患者4例,采用“左主支气管延长”法气道重建,2例采用腔外分流法置换上腔静脉,2例行上腔静脉侧壁切除术。1例同时行肺动脉侧壁部分切除术。结果4例患者均顺利完成手术,无围手术期死亡。术后均给予低分子肝素抗凝治疗2周,之后改为阿司匹林抗凝治疗。术后声音嘶哑合并肺部感染1例,1例房颤。无其他严重并发症,术前上腔静脉阻塞综合征的2例患者术后无上腔静脉阻塞表现,胸部增强CT提示上腔静脉通畅。2例患者分别生存34个月和36个月,仍在随访中;另2例术后病理N2的患者分别生存30个月和31个月,已死亡。结论左主支气管根部延长术和腔外分流法上腔静脉置换或侧壁切除用于治疗累及气管下段右侧壁和上腔静脉的右上肺癌,安全有效。     

Congenital oesophagobronchial fistula in an adult involving left main bronchus.

Congenital fistulae between the tracheobronchial tree and oesophagus usually originate from the lower end of the trachea or right main bronchus. The case history is presented of a man in whom a fistula between the oesophagus and left main bronchus was not diagnosed until the age of 48.     

Mucosal changes in the trachea and main bronchi of newborn infants after naso-tracheal intubation.

Permanent sequelae of nasotracheal intubation are uncommon, but acute ulceration and squamous metaplasia occur. Histological sections from the trachea and main bronchi were examined in 12 infants. A nasotracheal tube had been inserted during the first two weeks of life of these infants and had been in place for more than one week. In four cases the patient died some time (7 to 108 days) after extubation. Similar sections from patients who were not intubated, intubated only for attempted resuscitation, or intubated for several hours were studied for comparison. The sections were classified according to the degree of mucosal loss and metaplasia, and the extent of the lesions was estimated. Squamous change was seen in most sections from all 12 patients with the exception of one who died 57 days after extubation. Some respiratory epithelium was seen in all patients. In the eight patients who died while intubated, the changes were more marked in the right main bronchus than the left in seven, and more marked in the lower trachea than the upper in five. In the two patients intubated for several hours, in addition to mucosal loss, early metaplasia was seen. It is suggested that mucosal loss is replaced by the squamous metaplasia, and that trauma caused by suction catheters in the lower trachea and right main bronchus is more extensive than that due to the endotracheal tube itself.     

留植下肺主支气管重建气管的研究

目的 探讨更具临床应用可行的气管重建术。方法 ３２条犬,全麻经左或右第四肋进胸,切除气管下段８￣１５个气管环长度。分别切除上肺（左侧）或中上肺（右侧）、中枢断端缝闭。保留并充分游离下肺及血管,在开口处切断下肺支气管。将主支气管翻转到上纵隔,并将其末梢端与气管上切端吻合,最后再将左或右下肺支气管断端分别与对侧主支气管内侧壁行端侧吻合。结果 死于手术并发症１４条,存活１８条,平均生存期６８．５天（１４     

A case of Saber-sheath type tracheo-bronchomalacia]

A case of Saber-sheath type tracheo-bronchomalacia complicating bronchial asthma was treated by external fixation of Marlex mesh, and good results were obtained. The patient was a 43-year-old male who had been treated for bronchial asthma for over nearly 20 years. Since 4 years ago, dyspnea and a feeling of obstruction of the larynx developed and gradually aggravated. He lost consciousness twice and was hospitalized on an emergency basis. Pulmonary function tests performed during remission of asthma attacks revealed an obstructive disorder: FEV1.0% was 30.5% and peak flow was 4.11 L/sec. Bronchoscopy and tracheo-bronchography revealed Saber-sheath type tracheo-bronchomalacia in the trachea and the right main bronchus. The severity of the obstruction was, in terms of Johnson's classification, II. for the trachea and I. for the right main bronchus. In accordance with the method reported by Hanawa and Ikeda, external fixation was applied to the trachea and the right main bronchus; that is, Marlex mesh was applied around to the trachea and the right main bronchus, and additional Lyodura was applied over the Marlex mesh. The postoperative course was satisfactory. Both FEV1.0% and the peak flow improved, and constriction of the trachea and the right main bronchus at the time of coughing was also reduced.     

Airway management for patients with a tracheal bronchus

A tracheal bronchus is an aberrant, accessory or ectopic bronchus arising almost invariably from the right lateral wall of the trachea, causing hypoxaemia, atelectasis, or both, during anaesthesia. We describe two patients with a tracheal bronchus found before anaesthesia. One tracheal bronchus was found by tracheobronchoscopy and the other by chest x-ray. Because of recognition of the anomaly before operation, anaesthesia was uneventful in each patient.      

Selection of the bronchial tube for one-lung anesthesia by multidetector-row computed tomography (MD CT) evaluation

One-lung anesthesia is a method of anesthesia performed by inserting the tip of a bronchial tube into either the right main bronchus or the left main bronchus. The right bronchial tube is a special structure. Since the distance of the carina to the right upper lobe bronchus is short, a side hole is made to prevent blockading of the right upper lobe bronchus, and the cuff is attached aslant to it. When inserting a bronchial tube into the right main bronchus, care is required to prevent the occurrence of atelectasis though a gap in the bronchial tube. We evaluated the structure of a trachea and a bronchus using the multidetector-row computed tomography (MD CT), and tried to select the right bronchial tube most suitable for each structure. There are individual differences in the structure of a trachea and a bronchus. By creating a 3-dimensional image of a trachea and a bronchus, the structure could be easily grasped, and therefore selection of the most appropriate bronchial tube according to the structure was possible.     

Endobronchial Neurogenic Tumors Treated by Transbronchial Electrical Snaring and Nd-YAG Laser Abrasion: Report of Three Cases

Neurogenic benign tumors arising from the trachea and bronchus are relatively rare. We experienced three cases of neurofibroma of the bronchus which were successfully treated by transbronchial electrical snaring and Nd-YAG laser abrasion. The first was a 67-year-old man with right lung cancer, who was pointed out to have a neurofibroma in the left main bronchus. The second was a 34-year-old man with an obstruction in the right main bronchus due to neurofibroma. The third was a 66-year-old woman with a complete obstruction in the left main bronchus due to schwannoma. All patients were successfully treated to remove the tumors and obtain a patency of the bronchus by transbronchial electrical snaring and Nd-YAG laser abrasion. We also review 23 reported cases of endobronchial neurogenic tumors and discuss the efficacy of endoscopic treatments for endobronchial neurogenic tumors.