SUCCESSFUL BRONCHOTRACHEAL RECONSTRUCTION IN ESOPHAGEAL BRONCHUS - 2 CASE-REPORTS

Esophageal bronchus is the most common congenital bronchopulmonary for egut malformation. Current surgical treatment is resection of anomalou s pulmonary tissue, which is often hypoplastic and destroyed by infect ion. The authors report two cases of bronchotracheal reconstruction. T he diagnosis was early, before 15 days of age. The anomalous pulmonary tissue had a pulmonary arterial supply and venous drainage as assesse d by angiography and a good functional capacity on selective ventilati on. Bronchotracheal anastomosis was successful in both cases: a right main bronchus at 25 days of age and a left main bronchus at 13 days of age. One child underwent reoperation 1 year later for bronchomalacia of the reimplanted bronchus. Both children are well with normal growth 3 and 7 years after surgery. Chest roentgenograms showed normal and s ymmetrical lung aeration, Tracheal reimplantation may be prefered to p ulmonary resection when the anomalous pulmonary tissue is not destroye d, The pulmonary functional capacity is increased and the complication s of pneumonectomy avoided. Copyright (C) 1997 by W.B. Saunders Compan y.