title: Laryngeal and tracheobronchial involvement in Wegener's granulomatosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) is a form of systemic vasculitis that involves primarily the upper and lower airways and the kidneys. The most frequent airway manifestations include subglottic stenosis and inflammation, and tracheal and bronchial stenoses. The endoscopic visualization of the airways is the best tool for assessing, diagnosing and managing those changes.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe the endoscopic abnormalities found in the airway mucosa of a group of patients with WG undergoing bronchoscopy at Hospital das Clínicas of the Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo (HC-FMUSP), and to report the therapeutic bronchoscopic interventions used in some cases.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study assessed 15 patients diagnosed with GW from the Vasculitis Outpatient Clinic of the Department of Pulmonology, HC-FMUSP, referred for bronchoscopy at the Service of Respiratory Endoscopy, HC-FMUSP, from 2003 to 2007.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifteen patients were studied [11 females (73.33%)]; mean age, 34 ± 11.5 years. Airway changes were found in 80% of the patients, and the most frequent endoscopic finding was subglottic stenosis (n = 6). Therapeutic bronchoscopy was performed in three patients with subglottic stenosis and in other three patients with bronchial stenosis, all showing good results.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Bronchoscopy allows for diagnosing, monitoring, and treating the airway lesions in WG, being a minimally invasive therapeutic option in selected cases.
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Endoscopia Respiratória, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo. ascedio@gmail.com
authors.forename: Ascedio Jose
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.forename: Marcia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jacomelli
authors.forename: Renata Xavier
authors.initials: RX
authors.lastname: Baldow
authors.forename: Carmen Valente
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Barbas
authors.forename: Viviane Rossi
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Figueiredo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001982:Bronchial Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D001999:Bronchoscopy; D005260:Female; D014890:Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D007818:Laryngeal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014133:Tracheal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*