Rigid Bronchoscopic Resection of Liver Cancer Metastasizing to the Trachea

Abstract

Background. A malignant tumor metastasizing to the trachea/tracheal lumen is relatively rare, and liver cancer metastasizing to the tracheal lumen and blocking the central airway is even rarer. Case. A 75-year-old woman underwent right lower lobectomy for a metastatic lung tumor 3 years after undergoing surgery for liver cancer. Subsequently, she had been relapse-free for 2 years but was referred to our department because of the appearance of bloody phlegm during follow-up. A tumor was found immediately above the carina trachea on chest computed tomography, and liver cancer metastasizing to the tracheal lumen was suspected based on the clinical course. The tumor was resected to the maximum extent possible via rigid bronchoscopy to relieve the airway stenosis. The pathological diagnosis was liver cancer metastasizing to the tracheal lumen. The patient is currently under observation as an outpatient. Conclusion. We encountered a case of liver cancer metastasizing to the tracheal lumen in which the tumor was resectable via rigid bronchoscopy. As shown in our present case, rigid bronchoscopic treatment for tracheal neoplasms causing airway stenosis is a safe procedure that enables secure maintenance of the airway and also effectively treats bleeding.