Clinical application of endotracheal cryotherapy.

A nitrous oxide cryoprobe has been developed that may be used through the infant bronchoscope. A total of 19 discrete airway lesions have been treated in 17 patients ranging in age from 2 mo to 30 yr. Three patients with periglottic lesions have had complete eradication of these lesions without the need for tracheostomy. Six patients with subglottic stenoses have been treated, with one successful extubation and one patient approaching extubation. Five patients have been treated for distal tracheal strictures, with two successful extubations and a third pending extubation. Five patients have been treated for endotracheal granulation tissue, and 3 patients have been successfully extubated. Cryotherapy allows bloodless resection of these lesions with rapid tissue healing not accompanied by residual scarring.