• Jeanne-Marie Perotin, Thierry Jeanfaivre, Yoann Thibout, Stéphane Jouneau, Hervé Lena, Hervé Dutau, Philippe Ramon, Christine Lorut, Marc Noppen, Jean-Michel Vergnon, Hervé Vallerand, Jean-Claude Merol, Charles-Hugo Marquette, François Lebargy, and Gaëtan Deslee.
• Department of Respiratory Medicine, INSERM UMRS 903, University Hospital of Reims, Reims, France.
• Ann. Thorac. Surg. 2011 Jul 1;92(1):297-301.

BackgroundIdiopathic tracheal stenosis (ITS) is a rare condition representing a difficult therapeutic challenge. Endoscopic management is a therapeutic option but long-term results are not established. The aim of this retrospective multicenter study was to analyze long-term outcome after endoscopic management of ITS.MethodsNine institutions involved in interventional bronchoscopy were contacted and asked to identify ITS endoscopically treated. A standard form was used to report the main characteristics and long-term outcome after endoscopic management.ResultsTwenty-three patients, 96% women, aged 45±16 years, were endoscopically treated for ITS. Time between first symptoms and diagnosis was 19±18 months. Bronchoscopy showed a weblike (61%) or complex (39%) stenosis, located in the upper part of the trachea, mainly in the cricoid area. Endoscopic treatment included mechanical dilation only (52%) or associated with laser or electrocoagulation (30%) and stent placement (18%). All procedures were efficient. The follow-up after endoscopic management was 41±34 months. The ITS recurrence occurred in 30% at 6 months, 59% at 2 years, and 87% at 5 years, with a delay of 14±16 months. The treatment of recurrence (n=13) included endoscopic management in 12 cases.ConclusionsEndoscopic management of ITS provides a safe and efficient therapeutic option but late recurrences are frequent and require long-term follow-up.Copyright © 2011 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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