Accelerated Development of Tracheal Stenosis after Placement of an Expandable Metallic Stent in the Esophagus

The patient was an 82-year-old woman. Chest X-ray films obtained at a screening examination in August 1996 revealed cancer of the right lung accompanied by infiltration of the mediastinum. At the patient's re-quest, she was kept under observation without any active treatment. In March 1997, the patient developed dysphagia, and oral intake of food became impossible by the end of the same month. She was hospitalized and examinations revealed that mediastinal infiltration of the lung cancer had caused esophageal stenosis. An ex-pandable metallic stent (EMS) was inserted and improved oral intake of food, therefore, the patientwas dis-charged from the hospital. In May 1997, the patient developed dyspnea, and examination revealed tracheal stenosis. The patient's conditions suddenly worsened, so an EMS wasinserted into the trachea and improved the dyspnea. The patient was subsequently discharged from the hospital. In July 1997, the patient died of pneumonia. In patients with inoperable stenosis of the esophagus or of the trachea caused by cancer, an EMS may improve the patient's quality of life. However, caution should be exercised in patients with esophagealstenosis because placement of an EMS may accelerate the development of tracheal stenosis.