title: Necrotizing tracheitis secondary to corynebacterium species presenting with central airway obstruction.
abstract: Pseudomembranous necrotizing tracheitis is a rare cause of life-threatening central airway obstruction. Patients present with hoarseness, cough, dyspnea, wheezing, stridor, and occasionally with respiratory failure. Diagnosis requires a high index of suspicion, and should be confirmed with a comprehensive bronchoscopy and biopsy. For patients with signs and symptoms of airway obstruction, a therapeutic rigid bronchoscopy with mechanical debridement is recommended. We present a rare case of necrotizing tracheitis secondary to Corynebacterium species, which caused life-threatening airway obstruction in an adult.
authors.affiliation: Division of Thoracic Surgery and Interventional Pulmonology.
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Guerrero
authors.forename: Pavan
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mallur
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Folch
authors.forename: Colleen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Keyes
authors.forename: Isaac E
authors.initials: IE
authors.lastname: Stillman
authors.forename: Sidhu P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Gangadharan
authors.forename: Adnan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Majid
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000382:microbiology; D003352:Corynebacterium; D003354:Corynebacterium Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009336:Necrosis / Q000382:microbiology; D014132:Trachea / Q000473:pathology*; D014136:Tracheitis / Q000382:microbiology*
keywords: Corynebacterium; central airway obstruction; necrotizing tracheitis; rigid bronchoscopy