Acute Respiratory Failure from Tracheopathia Osteoplástica

Abstract

Tracheopathia osteoplastica is a benign cartilaginous and osseous metaplasia of the laryngo-tracheobronchial tree diagnosed more commonly in adults over 50 years of age.

We report here the case of a 54-year-old man who underwent thyroidectomy for multinodular goiter.

Immediately after an uneventful surgery, he developed an acute respiratory failure with radiologic picture of Adult

Respiratory Distress Syndrome.

Mechanical ventilation was set up again, bronchoscopy with biopsy disclosed a massive tracheobronchial haemorrhage from a tracheopathia osteoplastica.

Supportive treatment was successfully provided and the patient resumed to a normal life 14 days after the operation.

Key Words:

• Tracheopathia osteoplastica
• adult respiratory distress syndrome
• tracheobronchial haemorrhage

Additional information

Notes on contributors

F.B. Mboti

Docteur Freddy B. Mboti Department of Surgery Jules Bordet institute Rue Héger-Bordet, 1 B-1000 Brussels, Belgium E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected] Tel.: [phone] or 3159 Fax: [phone]