[Tracheal compression treated with endoluminal stents].

Tracheobronchial stenoses can be caused by growth of endoluminal tumour or by external compression. Endoluminal tumours can be treated by means of endoscopically applied lasers, while tumours in the oesophagus, thyroid gland, or lymph nodes which compress the airways connor be reached by this type of treatment. We report four cases where life-threatening compression of airways by malignant tumours was successfully relieved by stenting the trachea with a silicone stent, Endoxane. The stent was inserted through a rigid bronchoscope, and the operative procedure was uneventful in all cases. Postoperatively, the patients did not experience severe discomfort from the stent, and neither dislocation of the stent nor retention of secretions was a problem. All the patients died of cancer-related causes, but none died from suffocation. It is concluded that tracheo-bronchial stenting is a valuable supplement to irradiation in palliative treatment of airway compression of airways caused by malignant tumours.