Endoscopic resection and intraluminal tracheal stenting for a feline malignant tracheal tumor

A 16-year-old intact female mongrel cat was brought to the hospital at night in an emergency with a chief complaint of persistent coughing for half a year and acute deterioration with mouth breathing. Since a chest X-ray showed an intratracheal mass, endoscopic partial resection and intraluminal tracheal stenting were carried out to improve respiration. The tumor stage was diagnosed as T1N0M0, and the postoperative pathological diagnosis was primary intratracheal carcinosarcoma. Emergency respiratory conditions such as open-mouth breathing, cyanosis, exercise intolerance, neck extention position, anorexia, and slavering were improved immediately after endoscopic partial resection and intraluminal tracheal stenting, and the quality of life(QOL)also improved. The patient died of respiratory failure on day 36 by tumor invasion into the stent. This procedure was carried out as palliative therapy, and the owner was satisfied with the outcome because the patient's QOL was improved until death occurred.