title: Respiratory failure due to tracheobronchomalacia.
abstract: A case is described of tracheobronchomegaly progressing to extensive tracheomalacia, complicated by episodic choking, recurrent pulmonary infections, and irreversible hypercapnic respiratory failure. A Y-shaped tracheobronchial stent was placed endoscopically to splint the trachea open, with excellent clinical and physiological improvement. New stent designs may provide long term palliation in selected cases of diffuse tracheal collapse or stenosis, and offer an alternative to surgical repair.
authors.affiliation: Pulmonary Division, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Collard
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Freitag
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Reynaert
authors.forename: D O
authors.initials: DO
authors.lastname: Rodenstein
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Francis
mesh_terms: D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000209:etiology*; D015607:Stents; D014133:Tracheal Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D014135:Tracheal Stenosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D014137:Tracheobronchomegaly / Q000150:complications*