Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of different interventional bronchoscopic techniques for the management of benign cicatricial hyperplasia airway stenosis, and to study the factors associated with the treatment effects.
Methods: From December 2004 to December 2009, 36 patients with cicatricial airway stenosis were admitted to our department. An investigation was made to analyze the effects by different interventional bronchoscopic treatments. The most suitable treatment modality for cicatricial airway stenosis was explored and described.
Results: For the 36 patients, the disease was cured in 9, improved in 10, not improved in 12, and failure in 5. The cure rate, effective rate and ineffective rate were 25%, 53% and 47%, respectively. Further analysis showed that the effective rate was 8% and 82% respectively for the electrical coagulation therapy and the balloon dilation combined with needle electrical knife and/or cryotherapy. Restenosis extension after operation occurred in 67% of the cases by electrical coagulation therapy, but only 12% of cases by the balloon dilation combined with needle electrical knife and/or cryotherapy.
Conclusions: Our experience demonstrated that for the treatment of airway cicatricial stenosis, electrical coagulation might induce and worsen serious airway restenosis resulting in failure of treatment. On the other hand, balloon dilation combined with needle electrical knife and/or cryotherapy might be a relative safe and effective therapy for airway cicatricial stenosis.