Objective To evaluate the application value of spiral CT virtual endoscopy and three dimensional imaging in fiberoptic bronchoscopic balloon dilation in patients with benign tracheobronchial stenosis. Methods Thirty-three cases of benign tracheobronchial stenosis from June 2004 to November 2008 were checked by spiral CT with airway tracheobronchial reconstruction. For the patients with indications, balloon dilatation was performed under fiberoptic bronchoscope. The three-dimensional reconstruction images were compared with the findings under bronchoscopy. And the preoperative and postoperative three-dimensional reconstruction images were compared for airway diameter. Results Three cases were found stenosis of middle lobe by CT virtual endoscopy and did not undergo balloon dilatation. The remaining 30 cases were confirmed by bronchoscopy findings similar to the images by tracheobronchial reconstruction with CT, with consistent rate of 100% . Immediate postoperative three-dimensional CTreconstruction of tracheal bronchus revealed that diameter of stenotic bronchus increased from ( 2. 7 ±1. 3) mm to ( 6. 9 ±1. 6) mmafter operation. Conclusion Multislice spiral CT virtual endoscopy is helpful in fiberoptic bronchoscopic balloon dilation in patients with benign tracheobronchial stenosis and postoperative follow-up.
ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical characteristics of tracheobronchial stenosis due to tracheobronchial tuberculosis (TBTB).MethodsWe recruited all patients diagnosed as TBTB within one year from four centers of Guangdong province, southern China. The prevalence, risk factors and bronchoscopy characteristics of tracheobronchial stenosis were analyzed. The location and pathological type of stenosis were also compared between different genders.ResultsA total of 345 patients were diagnosed with TBTB, 206 cases (59.7%) of which were concomitant with varying degrees of tracheobronchial stenosis. The stenosis was mainly located at upper lobe (50.0%) and gave priority to unilateral infiltration. The proportion of left and right-side stenosis were 53.9% and 44.2%, respectively. Forty-nine cases (23.8%) with tracheobronchia stenosis developed severe airway narrowing, the proportion of which was similar between left and right-side lung (49% vs. 51%). Severe stenosis in the left-side lung mainly involved in upper lobe (37.5%), main bronchus (37.5%) and the right-side mainly involved in upper lobe (44.0%), middle lobe or intermediate bronchus (40.0%). Among the TBTB patients, females, those with age ≥18 years, non-smokers, and those with symptom duration ≥4 weeks were more likely to be with tracheobronchial stenosis (P<0.05). The differences in gender between the patients with airway stenosis were as follows: the median age of female tracheobronchial stenosis patients was smaller than that of male patients (31 years vs. 43 years, P<0.05); stenosis were more likely involved in left side and main bronchus in female patients; ulceration necrosis of stenosis was more frequently seen in the female patients (P<0.05).ConclusionsTracheobronchial stenosis due to tracheobronchial tuberculosis is more frequently seen in young and middle-aged female patients. There are different stenosis location and lesion types between different genders.