title: Tracheal stenosis caused by unnoticed foreign bodies.
abstract: We describe an extremely rare case of tracheal stenosis caused by unnoticed microscopic fiber-like foreign bodies. A 66-year-old woman complained of dyspnea with inspiratory stridor. Magnifying electroendoscopy and computed tomography revealed stenosis involving the entire circumference of the tracheal lumen. Tracheotomy and biopsy were performed. Histologically, the lesion showed chronic inflammation with a deposition of fiber-like foreign bodies. The patient had no history of trauma or inhalation injury, but had undergone intratracheal intubation on 4 occasions. The lesion was incised using semiconductor laser photoresection, and the postoperative course was good. To the best of our knowledge, this represents the first report in the English literature of tracheal stenosis caused by unnoticed foreign bodies. The origin of these fiber-like foreign bodies remains unclear but might be related to chronic inflammation resulting from intratracheal intubations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Himeji Red Cross Hospital, Himeji, Hyogo 670-8540, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuya
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ogawara
authors.forename: Tomoyasu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tachibana
authors.forename: Yorihisa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Orita
authors.forename: Kaori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Uchino
authors.forename: Yoji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wani
authors.forename: Itaru
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Nagahiro
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Matsuyama
authors.forename: Iku
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: Masayoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fujisawa
authors.forename: Kazunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nishizaki
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014135:Tracheal Stenosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery