Case report of severe bronchial web-like stenoses after ‘surviving the unsurvivable’

• Main Authors: Thomas Crowhurst, Joshua Lightfoot, Aeneas Yeo, Benjamin Reddi, Phan Nguyen, Helen Whitford, Chien-Li Holmes-Liew
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: BMC 2019-07-01
• Series: BMC Pulmonary Medicine
• Subjects: Inhalation injury; Extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation; Bronchial web-like stenoses; Interventional pulmonology; Lung transplantation
• Online Access: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12890-019-0873-z

Abstract Background There are few cases of multiple bronchial stenoses reported in the literature and none of the severity described here. The case is relevant due to its rareness, the pathophysiological insights derived, the successful interventional pulmonology strategies demonstrated, and as an example of a rare indication for high-risk lung transplantation. Case presentation A 47-year-old man developed multiple recurrent bronchial web-like stenoses five weeks after an episode of severe tracheo-bronchitis presumed secondary to a chemical inhalation injury which initially caused complete bilateral lung collapse necessitating veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. The stenoses completely effaced bronchi in many locations causing severe type II respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation and bronchoscopic puncture / dilatation then ultimately bilateral lung transplantation. Conclusion This very rare case highlights the morbid sequelae that can arise after catastrophic tracheobronchitis which now, in the era of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, may be survivable in the short-term.