Accelerated Development of Tracheal Stenosis after Placement of an Expandable Metallic Stent in the Esophagus

Michimasa Ueda and Hideki Okamoto

Department of Surgery, Muraoka Public Hospital

The patient was an 82-year-old woman. Chest X-ray films obtained at a screening examination in August 1996 revealed cancer of the right lung accompanied by infiltration of the mediastinum. At the patient's request, she was kept under observation without any active treatment. In March 1997, the patient developed dysphagia, and oral intake of food became impossible by the end of the same month. She was hospitalized and examinations revealed that mediastinal infiltration of the lung cancer had caused esophageal stenosis. An expandable metallic stent (EMS) was inserted and improved oral intake of food, therefore, the patient was discharged from the hospital. In May 1997, the patient developed dyspnea, and examination revealed tracheal stenosis. The patient's conditions suddenly worsened, so an EMS was inserted into the trachea and improved the dyspnea. The patient was subsequently discharged from the hospital. In July 1997, the patient died of pneumonia. In patients with inoperable stenosis of the esophagus or of the trachea caused by cancer, an EMS may improve the patient's quality of life. However, caution should be exercised in patients with esophageal stenosis because placement of an EMS may accelerate the development of tracheal stenosis.

Key words
esophageal stenosis, tracheal stenosis, expandable metallic stent

Reprint requests
Michimasa Ueda Department of Surgery, Muraoka Public Hospital 3036-1 Muraoka-cho, Mikata-gun, Hyogo, 667-1311 JAPAN

Accepted
May 25, 1999

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