Long-Term Outcome of Metallic Stenting for Central Airway Involvement in Relapsing Polychondritis

Placement of uncovered self-expandable metallic stents was found to successfully alleviate critical airflow limitation in patients with relapsing polychondritis (RP) with central airway involvement by several reports. However, the long-term outcome of airway metallic stenting in patients with RP remain unclear.

We retrospectively analyzed patients with RP who underwent airway metallic stenting with the use of fiberoptic bronchoscopy between September 1, 2009, and October 1, 2017, in Shanghai. Outcome measurements, including modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) dyspnea score, 6-minute walk distance (6MWD), spirometry, and bronchoscopic findings, as well as adverse events after stent placement, were collected.

A total of 27 patients were included; the median patient age was 58 years (range: 41 to 74 years), and 19 were men (70.4%). Nineteen uncovered self-expandable metallic stents were placed in the trachea and 39 in the main bronchi. The median follow-up time was 50.5 months (range: 6 to 100 months). The baseline forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV₁) percentage predicted (%pred), FEV₁/forced vital capacity (FVC), and peak expiratory flow (PEF) was 24.2 ± 3.7, 27.2 ± 5.6, and 0.99 ± 0.21 L/min, respectively. One day after the procedure, improvement from baseline in FEV₁ %pred, FEV₁/FVC, and PEF was 17.9 ± 8.9 (p = 0.001), 19.8 ± 10.9 (p = 0.002), and 0.69 ± 0.44 L/min (p = 0.001), respectively. Changes in the following variables were also statistically and clinically significant: 6MWD of 193.7 ± 83.4 m; mMRC dyspnea score of -1.2 ± 0.4 points (both p < 0.05). The improvements were maintained at 5 years: a mean change in FEV₁ %pred, FEV₁/FVC, PEF, 6MWD, and mMRC score was 19.5 ± 6.7, 13.9 ± 5.0, 0.82 ± 0.40 L/min, 134.7 ± 66.2 m, and -0.83 ± 0.29 points, respectively. Cough, foreign body sensation, mucus production, and granulomas were common adverse events, occurring in 48.1% (13 of 27), 40.7% (11 of 27), 29.6% (8 of 27), and 25.9% (7 of 27) of the subjects. However, none of those complications were severe enough to require urgent bronchoscopic interventions.

Airway metallic stenting in patients with RP with central airway involvement resulted in long-term clinical benefits in lung function, exercise tolerance, and dyspnea with an acceptable safety profile.