Treatment of tracheomalacia with Palmaz stent: a case report

Tracheomalacia is a potentially life-threatening clinical problem. The expandable Palmaz stent can be used for the treatment of tracheomalacia. We describe a female infant with tracheomalacia who showed respiratory distress the day after birth. Tracheomalacia was diagnosed by bronchoscopic examination, computed tomography and bronchography. At 75 days of age, an expandable metallic stent (Palmaz stent) was inserted into the trachea under fluoroscopic control. The patient's respiratory status improved rapidly. Bronchoscopic examination 6 months after the insertion did not show any granulation tissue. However, in bronchoscopic examination carried out two years later, we detected invasion of the Palmaz stent to the trachea and development of granulation tissue. We think that expandable metallic stent placement should be considered in patients who show intractable respiratory symptoms caused by tracheomalacia in the earlier stages of the treatment. But long-term complications of this procedure are crucial.