A case of tracheal stenosis following radiation after mastectomy

We experienced a case of a cervical tracheal stenosis caused by irradiation of the neck lymphnodes after mastectomy. We treated a 43-year-old female with right breast cancer (T3N1M0 stage IIIa) who underwent standard radical mastectomy (Br+Ax+Mj+Mn) on May 1984, and had a 60Co irradiation of 50 Gy to axillar, parasternal and supraclavicular areas, for two months after surgery. She had complained of severe stridor and dyspnea since February 1985, and subsequently suffered from a pneumonia in the left lower lobe. She was admitted to our hospital and undergone steroid inspiration. A silicon T-tube was inserted into the trachea. Her symptoms had improved for two years, but a tracheo-esophageal fistula and pneumonia developed. We performed a resection of a tracheo-esophageal fistula. She died following to suddenly massive hemorrhage from tracheo-bracheochephalic artery fistula on the 7 postoperative day. (author)