A very early stage of obstructive fibrinous tracheal pseudo-membrane formation.

Abstract

As result of a short-term intubation (24 hours), we report a rare and poorly known complication: the formation of an obstructive fibrinous tracheal pseudo-membrane (OFTP). The diagnosis and therapy of OFTP were due to its spontaneous expectoration after a long asymptomatic time post extubation (four days): This is a very unusual event. A CT-scan of the chest performed 3 hours after intubation revealed the first step of pseudo-membrane developing.