[Radiologic procedures for directing laser therapy in obstructions of the upper respiratory tract]

172 patients affected by obstructive diseases (malignant or benign) of the trachea and/or main bronchi and admitted to the hospital for a laser treatment of the lesions, underwent radiological investigations. All patients underwent one or more of the following examinations: routine chest radiography, tomography of the trachea or bronchi, CT of the lungs and mediastinum with axial scans (eventually completed by frontal and sagittal reconstructions). The radiological approach was extremely useful for selecting cases which had to be treated by laser therapy; it permitted to get information about the lumen and the wall of the airways, and about their relationship with all surrounding structures. Moreover, the cases examined permitted the bronchologist to assert the value of the x-ray examinations, either for a correct evaluation of the respiratory situation immediately following the treatment, or for a long term follow-up on all those patients who were affected by recurrent lesions.