• Koichi Nomoto, Yuji Otsuka, Mitsuo Nishimura, Shinji Inada, Takanori Murayama, and Norimasa Seo.
• Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Omiya Medical Center, Jichi Medical School, Saitama 330-8503.
• Masui. 2003 Nov 1;52(11):1207-10.

AbstractA 68-year-old male patient was referred to our hospital for his intractable and progressive dyspnea. Chest roentgenography and computerized tomography revealed severe lower tracheal stenosis due to neoplastic invasion. The tumor completely surrounded his trachea for 5 cm length and the remaining internal diameter of the trachea was less than 5 mm. To avoid fatal asphyxia, emergency airway security was required. After placing both femoral arterial and venous cannulae for percutaneous cardiopulmonary support system, we dilated the stenotic trachea using a Cook airway exchange catheter (CAEC), and then an armored tube of 7 mm inner diameter was introduced through the CAEC. The maneuver was smoothly completed within one minute without any complications. His dyspnea was completely relieved. Following chemotherapy and radiotherapy were so effective that the endotracheal tube was extubated two weeks later uneventfully. After several series of chemotherapy and 50 Gy irradiation, the patient was discharged three months later without symptoms. We concluded that CAEC could be one of the life-saving instruments for emergent airway management in case of severe organic tracheal stenosis.

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