title: 3-D printouts of the tracheobronchial tree generated from CT images as an aid to management in a case of tracheobronchial chondromalacia caused by relapsing polychondritis.
abstract: This report concerns a 67 year old male patient with known advanced relapsing polychondritis complicated by tracheobronchial chondromalacia who is increasingly symptomatic and therapeutic options such as tracheostomy and stenting procedures are being considered. The DICOM files from the patient's dynamic chest CT in its inspiratory and expiratory phases were used to generate stereolithography (STL) files and hence print out 3-D models of the patient's trachea and central airways. The 4 full-sized models allowed better understanding of the extent and location of any stenosis or malacic change and should aid any planned future stenting procedures. The future possibility of using the models as scaffolding to generate a new cartilaginous upper airway using regenerative medical techniques is also discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, UK ; P ostgraduate Medical Institute, Anglia Ruskin University, Chelmsford, Essex, UK.
authors.forename: Matthew David
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Tam
authors.affiliation: East Anglian Radiography Research, Modelling and 3-D Printing Group, University Campus Suffolk, UK ; School of Computing Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK.
authors.forename: Stephen David
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Laycock
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine, Addenbrookes Hospital NHS Trust, Cambridge, UK.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jayne
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Radiology, Addenbrookes Hospital NHS Trust, Cambridge, UK.
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Babar
authors.affiliation: School of Science, Technology and Health, University Campus Suffolk, Ipswich, UK.
authors.forename: Brendon
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Noble
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008297:Male; D010781:Photography; D011081:Polychondritis, Relapsing / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D012008:Recurrence; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D055089:Tracheobronchomalacia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy
keywords: 3D modeling; 3D printing; DICOM; Rapid prototyping; STL; relapsing polychondritis; tracheobronchomalacia