• Korean Journal of Bronchoesophagology
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.63-67
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• 2004

Tracheomalacia can be a life threatening upper air way obstructive disease in an infant and vascular rings can be also a major rare cause of tracheoesophageal obstruction. These two rare entities can be combined in one patient because the vascular ring can cause secondary tracheomalacia during development of fetus. The diagnosis of this combination and adequate surgical correction is occasionally difficult. This is a report of an infant who had not diagnosed tracheomalacia associated with vascular ring until 5 months of age because of the prolonged tracheal intubation. The rigid bronchoscopic examination performed under impression of tracheomalacia revealed a concentric tracheal collapse, an unusual bronchoscopic findings of tracheomalacia, which raised a suspicion of the tracheal compression by vascular rings. The 3-D reconstructive DT aortography clearly demonstrated the double aortic arch. The patient was treated surgically by simple division of the left aortic arch and aortopexy with good result. The vascular ring such as double aortic arch should be considered during the diagnosis of tracheomalacia in infants. If the tracheomalacia is associated with vascular ring, simultaneous surgical correction should be performed.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.209-212
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• 1987

The authors report a case of double aortic arch associated with complete transposition of the great arteries. On 7th, Feb. 1985, Rastelli operation was performed for transposition using extracardiac valved conduit. Postoperative course was complicated by persistent right lower lobe atelectasis which resulted from tracheal compression by double aortic arch. On 20th, Mar. 1985, left arch was divided distal to the left subclavian artery followed by complete resolution of the atelectasis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case ever reported in Korea.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.100-104
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• 1995

Posterior mediastinal goiter extending to carotid sheath posteriorly is rare. Recently we experienced two cases of posterior mediastinal goiter presenting dyspnea due to tracheal compression. The one was a 48-year-old female with mediastinal tumor shadow on chest roentgenogram . The other was a 54-year-old female with palpable mass on neck and huge mediastinal mass. These masses were resected completely through the right posterolateral thoracotomy and median sternotomy respectively. The postoperative courses were uneventful.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.313-316
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• 2014

Airway obstruction after esophageal surgery is quite rare, and few such cases have been reported. A 57-year-old woman who underwent the Ivor Lewis procedure for esophageal carcinoma complained of a sudden onset of severe dyspnea on postoperative day 3. Chest computed tomography scan revealed that the collection of a large volume of mediastinal fluid caused marked luminal compression on the trachea and the gastric conduit. Explorative thoracotomy revealed a clear serous fluid in the space between the trachea and the gastric conduit, and all respiratory symptoms were relieved after the fluid was drained. The possibility of tracheal compression by loculated effusion, such as chyloma, should be considered in a patient who complains of respiratory deterioration after esophageal surgery.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.244-247
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• 1996

Multiple symmetric lipomatosis is a rare disease characterized by progressive growth of subcutaneous fat masses which are located symmetrically at neck, shoulders, chest, abdomen and groin. Recent surveys revealed a high incidence of combined somatic and autonomic neuropathy. The exact cause of the disease is not known. We have experienced one case of multiple symmetric lipomatosis with mediastinal involvement with symptomatic compression of trachea. The patient was a 55-year-male, complaining of dyspnea and slowly enlarging multiple symmetric masses at the neck, shoulders, chest, abdomen, flank and groin over a period of 10 years. He had a habit of excessive alcohol intake for many years. The fatty masses in the neck and the upper mediastinum including peritracheal region were excised through transverse cervical incision. But, because of the incomplete excision of peritracheal fatty tissue, we performed reoperation for the relief of residual tracheal compression at the 15th postoperative day. Two days later emergent tracheostomy was performed due to postoperative pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema. He could discharge with permanant tracheostomy.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.45-47
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• 2018

Thyroid hematoma secondary to a blunt trauma is a rare problem. Despite the rarity, it can be a life-threatening condition with tracheal compression. Both surgical exploration and conservative management have been suggested for thyroid hematoma. However, there is still controversy on the optimal treatment. A 67-year old man who progressed severe dyspnea and neck swelling was transferred to the emergency department with a blunt anterior neck trauma after traffic accident. Contrast enhanced neck computed tomography scan showed huge hematoma within the right thyroid gland and slight tracheal deviation without prominent airway obstruction. One day later, anterior neck swelling was aggravated and the patient was intubated to prevent airway obstruction. After 3 days, hematoma resolution was revealed and extubation was done. We report this case with a review of literature.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.8
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• pp.739-746
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• 1997

A variety of experiments concerning the development of ideal prosthetic grafts for correcting circumferential tracheal defects have been performed. The requirements for an ideal tracheal prosthesis are impermeability to air, consistency to prevent collapse, and acceptance by the host tissue causing a minimum inflammatory reaction, allowing fibroblastic infiltration and epithelialization. The synthetic material, polyurethane(PU), is known as a biocompatible polymer with an inert component. In this study, the tracheal prosthesis was made from microporous PU(30 micrometer in diameter) coated with gelatin and reinforced with isoplastic rings. This procedure provides the prosthesis with a compression strength. The out side diame er of the prosthesis was 20 mm with a length of 30 mm. The gelatin used in the study was obtained from pig skin and immobilized and cross-linked by irradiation(60 Co gamma ray) to promote host tissue incorporation and render the prosthesis epithelization after implantation. Animal experiments using 10 mongrel dogs were performed to compare three kinds of prosthesis; gelatin coated polyurethane graft, uncoated polyurethane graft, and prosthesisf pericadium complex graft. After 6 weeks of implantation, the epithelialization of implants was seen on the gelatin-coated and prosthesisfpericadium complex grafts. Implanted prosthesis were complicated by airway obstruction due to anastomosis granuloma. Early tracheal stenosis was found in the uncoated graft group. Two kind of anastomosis techniques were tested on the gelatin-coated prosthesis. Everted anastomosis resulted severe granuloma than the inverted anastomosis. In the prosthesislpericadium complex graft, bacteria and inflammation at a anastomotic site was found. Based on these results, gelatin coated porous polyurethane trachea prosthesis is biocompatible and may be useful in clinical application with further investigation.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.165-169
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• 1979

Neurofibromatosis [Von Recklinghausen`s disease] is a rare Mendelian dominant disease, which shows multiple generalized symptoms and signs at various sites [Ex Skin, Bone, Nerve, Endocrine, Mediastinum rarely Lung, etc.]. We experienced one case of neurofibromatosis which has typical skin lesions [cafe-au-lait, multiple nodules, axillary freckling] with neurofibrosarcoma [malignant change from mediastinal lesion]. Patient was admitted our department because of recently developed severe dyspnea which was probably due to main tracheal compression by mediastinal neurofibrosarcoma. After successful removal of mediastinal mass dyspnea disappeared completely. Patient`s postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient was discharged 14 days after operation.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.1056-1060
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• 1989

Substernal goiter may be defined as any thyroid enlargement that has 50 to 100 % of its mass inferior to the thoracic inlet. Ectopic substernal goiters are rare, and most substernal gaiters arise from cervical thyroid gland. Fifteen to fifty percent of these patients are asymptomatic. Symptoms, when present, are usually the result of tracheal or esophageal compression. Symptoms are often positional. Standard chest roentgenograms are often diagnostic, but computed tomographic or radioactive iodine scans may be helpful. In symptomatic patients or those in whom explorations are undertaken for diagnostic purpose or exclude carcinoma, surgical removal is indicated. Although cervical thyroids with substernal extension may be safely and successfully removed through a cervical incision, primary substernal goiters by definition derive their blood supply from within the thorax and are better approached by splitting the sternum or through a posterolateral thoracotomy. Recently we experienced a child fist sized secondary posterior mediastinal goiter in 55-year old female. The mass was completely removed through right posterolateral thoracotomy without any complications. The postoperative courses were uneventful.

• Korean Journal of Bronchoesophagology
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.159-163
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• 1995

Double aortic arch is the most common among vascular structure anomalies in infancy. It's clinical manifestations vary from incidental discovery without symptoms to symptoms of tracheal or esophageal compression such as stridor, wheezing, excessive secretion, dyspnea and dysphagia. Characteristically many patients show little sign of respiratory difficulty during sleep and quiet monents but this symptom is frequently exacerbated by crying or exertion, which may be difficult to distinguish from bronchial asthma. CT and MRI are believed to be the most valuable methods of diagnosis and surgical intervention is necessary in severe cases. Recently, we experienced a case of dyspnea due to double aortic arch. So we report this case with review of literatures.