Novel Strategy of Stents in Thyroid Mass: A Case Series Reporto f Managing Severely Dyspnoeic Patients

Abstract

Background: Tracheal and bronchial stenosis are a life-threatening condition causing difficulty in breathing and even severe respiratory distress. Patients with severe dyspnea were addressed in the insertion of silicone tracheobronchial stents using rigid bronchoscopy method and they exhibited symptomatic improvement as well as rise in the oxygen saturation. The bronchial stents were applicable to many extensive malignant airway stenosis patients, such as esophageal cancer, lung cancer and laryngeal cancer. But effectiveness of bronchial stents for thyroid cancer is not certain. Case presentation: We reported on 3 emergency patients with a thyroid mass, referring to our hospital because of grade 4 dyspnea according to the American Thoracic Society shortness of breath. The main clinical symptoms were severe dyspnea and stridor. The radiographic examination and tomographic examination showed the narrowing and displacement of the trachea. Bronchial stents were employed in these 3 patients before undergoing thyroid surgery. And these patients’ thyroid surgeries were successful. Conclusion: In our study, we applied the bronchial stents to thyroid mass patients with dyspnea and the operation was successful. So, we found that application of bronchial stents may provide a new strategy to dyspnoeic patients with huge thyroid mass.