One not to miss: Tuberculous tracheal stenosis

Area of Science:

• Pulmonology
• Thoracic Surgery
• Interventional Pulmonology

Background:

• Tracheobronchial tuberculosis is a rare complication of pulmonary tuberculosis.
• Symptoms are often nonspecific and attributed to coexisting pulmonary disease.
• Chest X-rays typically do not reveal airway lesions.

Observation:

• A patient on treatment for pulmonary tuberculosis developed severe tracheal stenosis.
• The stenosis significantly compromised airway patency.

Findings:

• Bronchoscopic-guided balloon dilatation was successfully employed to manage the tracheal stenosis.
• Interventional bronchoscopy is a key treatment modality for restoring airway patency in such cases.

Implications:

• Early diagnosis of tracheobronchial tuberculosis requires a high index of suspicion.
• Bronchoscopic interventions offer a minimally invasive approach for managing airway stenosis.
• Surgical options remain a consideration if bronchoscopic measures are unsuccessful.