title: A dedicated Z-stent for acquired saber-sheath tracheobronchomalacia.
abstract: The tracheobronchial lumen has a continuous horseshoe arch morphology. We formed Z-stents accordingly to support the weakened cartilagenous portions. With this type of stent we treated a patient with acquired saber-sheath type tracheobronchomalacia (TBM), Rayl's type II, Johnson's grade III, whose condition was aggravated even under positive end expiratory pressure (PEEP) therapy. The patient improved gradually. No immediate complication was observed. Bronchofiberscopic examination revealed that the tracheobronchial arcade was closely strut-braced and showed no expiratory collapse. Six months later, when the patient was intubated due to asthmatic attacks, tissue ingrowth through the stent was found and removed. There was no recurrence of TBM. The patient died 2 years later of pneumoconiosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Wakayama Medical College, 7-Bancho-27, Wakayama City, 640 Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kishi
authors.forename: H K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Fujimoto
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sonomura
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Uetani
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nishida
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ohata
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yamada
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D001982:Bronchial Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D001995:Bronchography; D001999:Bronchoscopy; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012123:Pulmonary Ventilation / Q000502:physiology; D015607:Stents; D014133:Tracheal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*