A Case of Tracheal Cancer Detected by Examination for Airway Bleeding Under General Anesthesia

Abstract

Background. Tracheal cancers are rare malignancies, and generally found due to respiratory symptoms caused by an enlarged mass in the tracheal lumen. Case. A 72-year-old man suffering from wheezing had been treated for bronchial asthma for 12 months. However, bleeding was detected in airway during general anesthesia performed due to another disease. Bronchoscopy showed primary tracheal cancer during the operations and he was referred to our hospital. The tumor extended from the lower trachea to left main bronchus. Since the tumor was unresectable, multidisciplinary treatment was performed. The tumor became smaller and the endobronchial lesion also decreased. The effect was complete response. After 3 years and 6 months of follow-up, the patient was asymptomatic. Conclusion. A diagnosis of primary tracheal cancer is often overlooked, leading to some delay in definitive diagnosis because the symptoms are not specific. It can cause life-threatening airway obstruction and thus should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients with bronchial asthma.