Successful treatment of tracheal mucoepidermoid carcinoma using rigid bronchoscopy combined with conventional surgical resection.

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the trachea is a rare tumor. This investigation reports on a case of a 67-year-old male with mucoepidermoid carcinoma in the lower 1/3 of the trachea. The patient presented with intermittent coughing and hemoptysis lasting for 1 month. The preoperative investigation revealed an intraluminal polypoid mass in the posterolateral trachea with 75% stenosis of the tracheal lumen. A rigid bronchoscope was used to evaluate the airway before surgery, and the tumor was mechanically resected using the tip of the rigid bronchoscope just before intubation. Finally, the tumor was completely removed, and the airway was successfully reconstructed. At 6 months after surgery with no adjuvant chemoradiotherapy, the patient was free of disease.