2007 Volume 21 Issue 4 Pages 576-580
A 74-year-old male was admitted to our hospital due to hemosputum. He possessed some risk factors for surgery, such as pulmonary emphysema, old myocardiac infarction, and hypertension. Chest computed tomography and flexible bronchoscopy procedures revealed a tumor originating from the bronchial cartilage wall at the left second carina of the upper bronchus that obstructed the airway, and the case was diagnosed as atypical carcinoid histology. A bronchoplasty was performed to preserve the pulmonary function as much as possible, using a posterolateral thoracotomy at the 5th intercostal space. The tumor was extirpated by resection of the bronchial wall, including the second carina bronchus with a malignant negative margin, and the bronchus defect was closed using direct sutures. The postoperative course was uneventful and there was no stenosis at the anastomotic site. The patient was discharged without complications and showed no recurrence after 4 years 8 months. The present method is considered to be an effective option for lung.
