Fiberoptic bronchoscopy in thyroid carcinoma with tracheal invasion

Preoperative bronchoscopic findings of thyroid carcinoma with tracheal invasion were examined and compared with the histopathological findings. Tracheal sleeve resection was performed in 20 cases. The bronchoscopic findings were classified into 5 types: confirmed tumor in the tracheal lumen (5 cases), extramural compression of the trachea plus mucosal change (9 cases), extramural compression of the trachea (2 cases), mucosal changes only (3 cases), normal findings (1 case). Pathological findings revealed that the extent of invasion in the tracheal wall varied according to each of the above bronchoscopic types. The number of tracheal rings with adventitial invasion averaged 0.8 (maximum 2) more than preoperative bronchoscopic findings of the number of tracheal rings with mucosal invasion. This study demonstrated the necessity of resective 2 more tracheal rings than is indicated by the bronchoscopic findings.