OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to describe the role of pre- and postoperative dynamic CT in patients undergoing tracheoplasty, a novel surgical method for treatment of severely symptomatic tracheobronchomalacia. CONCLUSION: Five patients were referred for dynamic MDCT before and after undergoing tracheoplasty at our institution. Preoperatively, all patients showed signs of tracheobronchomalacia (> or = 50% airway collapse) on bronchoscopy, and four (80%) of these five patients showed evidence of malacia on dynamic forceful expiratory CT scans. In all five cases, postoperative CT showed a reduction in the degree of airway collapse during expiration, changes in shape of the trachea during inspiration, and posterior wall thickening related to the procedure. Our preliminary results suggest a potentially important role for CT in the pre- and postoperative assessments of patients with tracheobronchomalacia referred for tracheoplasty.
OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to describe the role of pre- and postoperative dynamic CT in patients undergoing tracheoplasty, a novel surgical method for treatment of severely symptomatic tracheobronchomalacia. CONCLUSION: Five patients were referred for dynamic MDCT before and after undergoing tracheoplasty at our institution. Preoperatively, all patients showed signs of tracheobronchomalacia (> or = 50% airway collapse) on bronchoscopy, and four (80%) of these five patients showed evidence of malacia on dynamic forceful expiratory CT scans. In all five cases, postoperative CT showed a reduction in the degree of airway collapse during expiration, changes in shape of the trachea during inspiration, and posterior wall thickening related to the procedure. Our preliminary results suggest a potentially important role for CT in the pre- and postoperative assessments of patients with tracheobronchomalacia referred for tracheoplasty.