Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases

The Korean Academy of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases (대한결핵및호흡기학회)
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A Promising Treatment for Broncholith Removal Using Cryotherapy during Flexible Bronchosopy: Two Case Reports

  • Lee, Jong Hwan (Division of Pulmonology, Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Incheon St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine) ;
  • Ahn, Joong Hyun (Division of Pulmonology, Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Incheon St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine) ;
  • Shin, Ah Young (Division of Pulmonology, Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Incheon St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine) ;
  • Kim, Sung Jin (Division of Pulmonology, Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Incheon St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine) ;
  • Kim, Sung Jun (Division of Pulmonology, Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Incheon St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine) ;
  • Cho, Gu-Min (Division of Pulmonology, Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Incheon St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine) ;
  • Oh, Hyun Jin (Division of Pulmonology, Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Incheon St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine) ;
  • Kim, In Ho (Division of Pulmonology, Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Incheon St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine) ;
  • Kim, Ju Sang (Division of Pulmonology, Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Incheon St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine)
  • Received : 2012.08.16
  • Accepted : 2012.10.25
  • Published : 2012.11.30
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Abstract

Broncholiths are defined as calcified materials that occur in a tracheobronchial tree or in a cavity communicating with that. Broncholith has variable clinical features. The therapeutic options to remove broncholiths are so variable that clinicians need to select the most safe and effective methods by mass size, mobility, and location. As yet, there is no consistent guideline removing a broncholith. We report 2 successful cases of removing a fixed broncholith by flexible bronchoscopy guided cryoadhesion. With repeated technique of thawing and freezing with cryoprobe, we could extract the fixed broncholith safely. This method is promising as a way to remove broncholith in the future.

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References

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  3. Foreign body removal is getting “cooler” vol.51, pp.9, 2012, https://doi.org/10.1002/ppul.23521
  4. Cryotherapy: A viable tool to remove broncholiths under flexible bronchoscopy vol.6, pp.4, 2016, https://doi.org/10.7603/s40681-016-0024-2