Surgical reconstruction for tuberculous airway stenosis: management for patients with concomitant tracheal malacia

Surgical reconstruction is commonly recommended for the treatment of tuberculous airway stenosis. The clinical conditions underlying tuberculous airway stenosis often involve both cicatricial stenosis and malacia. Surgical reconstruction alone may not improve the respiratory symptoms of patients with both types of airway stenosis. This study retrospectively reviewed patients who underwent surgical reconstruction for tuberculous airway stenosis to investigate the most appropriate treatment for this complicated condition.

Twelve patients with tuberculous airway stenosis underwent surgical reconstruction at our institute from January 2003 to December 2013. The clinical courses of these patients were retrospectively reviewed.

The 12 patients were 2 men and 10 women with a mean age of 36 years (range 17-61 years). The site of stenosis was the left main bronchus in six patients, trachea in four patients, and right main bronchus in two patients. The procedure performed was sleeve lobectomy in five patients, bronchial resection in four patients, and tracheal resection in three patients. Additional airway stenting was performed in two patients with concomitant malacia of the lower trachea. The performance status and Hugh-Jones classification improved postoperatively in all patients. The forced expiratory volume in 1 s as a percent of forced vital capacity and percent of forced expiratory volume in 1 s improved significantly.

Surgical reconstruction is an acceptable treatment for tuberculous airway stenosis. Additional airway stenting may be needed in patients with symptomatic malacia.