Rigid Bronchoscopy for Post-Tuberculosis Tracheobronchial Stenosis

The healing process of tracheobronchial tuberculosis (TB) result in tracheobronchial fibrosis causing airway stenosis in 11-42% of patients. In Korea, where pulmonary TB is still prevalent, post-TB tracheobronchial stenosis (PTTS) is one of the main causes of benign airway stenosis causing progressive dyspnea, hypoxemia and often representing life-threatening respiratory insufficiency. The development of rigid bronchoscopy replaced surgical management since last 30 years, and nowadays PTTS is mainly managed by bronchoscopic intervention in Korea. When diagnosed, tracheobronchial TB is treated by combination of anti-TB medications as other pulmonary TB. The indication of rigid bronchoscopy is more than ATS grade 3 dyspnea in PTTS patients. At first narrowed airway is dilated by multiple techniques, including ballooning, laser resection, bougienation under general anesthesia. Then, most of patients need silicone stenting to maintain the patency of dilated airway. 1.5~2 years after indwelling, the stent could be removed with 70% of success rate. Acute complications develops in less than 10% of patients without mortality. Subgroup analysis showed successful removal of stent was significantly associated with male sex, young age, good baseline lung function and absence of complete one lobe collapse. In conclusion, rigid bronchoscopy could be applied to PTTS patients with acceptable efficacy and tolerable safety.