1/6. Spontaneous tracheal rupture associated with acquired tracheobronchomalacia.We report here a very rare case of pneumomediastinum due to spontaneous tracheal rupture with tracheobronchomalacia. The patient was a 74-year-old woman who had suffered nocturnal dyspnea due to productive cough for five days prior to admission and had been treated with corticosteroids for five years at another hospital after being diagnosed with bronchial asthma. Computed tomographic scanning of the chest demonstrated over 1 cm longitudinal small air collections behind the upper trachea. Crescent-type tracheobronchomalacia was diagnosed by emergency bronchoscopy. At the right side of the upper trachea, a 1-cm laceration was revealed. fibrin glue (Bolheal, Kaketsuken, Kumamoto, japan) was sprayed on the laceration through an instrument of our design for endoscopic gluing and she was intubated for three days. Furthermore, treatment including administration of antibiotics, an antitussive agent, and a mucolytic agent, in addition to pulmonary physical therapy involving pursed lip breathing exercises and smoking cessation improved her complaints one month after admission.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physical (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/6. Endoscopic management of bronchial stenosis after double lung transplantation.Double lung transplantation with bilateral bronchial sutures is an increasingly popular therapeutic alternative for endstage, bilateral, septic pulmonary disease; however, surgical outcome has been hampered by mechanical complications at the level of the airway anastomoses. In our institution, therefore, the protocol for surveillance includes frequent flexible fiberoptic and rigid bronchoscopy under general anesthesia in all patients. Since 1988, there were 24 double lung transplantations (mean age, 19 yr) performed at the University of Marseille hospitals using bilateral sutures without omental wrapping. Nineteen patients had cystic fibrosis; of the ten individuals (53 percent) with cystic fibrosis who ultimately developed bronchial stenosis, six required therapeutic endoscopic intervention including dilatation or Nd:YAG laser resection. Five patients required endobronchial silicone stents. Statistically significant risk factors for postsurgical airway narrowing included young age (mean, 14.3 yr vs 24.0 yr in patients without stenosis) and prolonged mechanical ventilation prior to transplant (all five patients ventilated before surgery developed stenosis). Results of interventional bronchoscopy were good, and an excellent level of physical activity was maintained in most patients. A team familiar with all aspects of therapeutic bronchoscopy is essential to ensure proper management of airway complications in patients after lung transplantation.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physical (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/6. Bronchial casts in children.Bronchial casts were found in four children during a 2-year period at the Children's Memorial Hospital. These four children represent 0.2% of the 1,943 endoscopic cases during that time. Thirty other cases of bronchial casts have been reported previously in children 9 years of age or younger, only 12 of which were not associated with cystic fibrosis. Casts may be a complication of many diseases; cystic fibrosis, asthma, bronchitis, allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis, and bronchocentric granulomatosis are the most common. With the exception of cystic fibrosis, these diseases may all have an allergic pulmonary reaction as the underlying cause. In all four cases reported here, the diagnosis was made at endoscopy because the clinical picture is not dissimilar from that of bronchial foreign bodies. Management includes endoscopic removal of the cast, chest physical therapy with nebulized acetylcysteine, and an evaluation to determine the underlying condition.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physical (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/6. Endobronchial tuberculosis: report of three cases.Three patients are presented who had had a chronic cough for several months, a normal physical examination and a negative chest X-ray. Fiberoptic bronchoscopic examination revealed ulcerohaemorrhagic and/or stenotic lesions which proved to be of tuberculous origin. In one case there was a life-threatening haemoptysis, and a pneumonectomy was performed.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physical (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/6. Aspiration following a cave-in.Reported is a case of massive aspiration of particulate matter after a cave-in. A 14-year-old boy was buried beneath 18 inches of dirt while playing at a construction site. After extrication he was breathing spontaneously and was transported to the emergency department on supplemental oxygen. physical examination revealed cough, tachypnea, and diminished breath sounds of the right lung field. Chest radiographs showed multiple radiopaque densities filling the right mainstem bronchus and a left-to-right shift of the mediastinum. The patient was treated with bronchodilators followed by postural drainage and percussion. Chest radiographs and physical examination both returned to normal within 24 hours. Reports of massive aspiration of sand are scarce, and have emphasized the need for bronchoscopic removal of particles to restore ventilation. This case was managed with bronchodilators and postural drainage alone, with complete resolution of pulmonary abnormalities.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physical (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/6. Congenital bronchoesophageal fistula associated with esophageal diverticulum in the adult.Congenital bronchoesophageal fistula is a rare clinical entity in adults. This anomaly may cause various symptoms such as respiratory infections, coughing bouts when eating or drinking, and even hemoptysis. The fistula can cause symptoms in childhood but may not appear until adulthood. We recently experienced a case of congenital bronchoesophageal fistula associated with esophageal diverticulum in an adult. A 63-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital due to chest discomfort, sore throat and coughing bouts when eating. An empyema with lung abscess had occurred eight years previously. Results of the physical examination were unremarkable. A barium swallowing revealed a medium-sized diverticulum at the right anterior aspect of the esophagus, which had developed a fistulous connection with the right lower lobe bronchus. The patient was treated by fistulectomy and lobectomy of the right lower lobe. The postoperative course was smooth and uneventful.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physical (Clic here for more details about this article) |