Use of the carbon dioxide laser for tracheobronchial pathology in children

The carbon dioxide (CO2) laser has been used to treat tracheobronchial path ology for more than 20 years. It was initially employed in adults and now h as been found to be useful in the treatment of certain lesions in children. We present our experience with this technique in 30 patients treated with a CO2 bronchoscopic laser from 1987 to 1995 in the Ear, Nose, and Throat De partment of Armand Trousseau Hospital. Four different types of pathologies have been successfully treated with the laser: selective cases of tracheobr onchial stenosis following trauma and/or secondary to neonatal ventilation, posttraumatic tracheobronchial granuloma (due to foreign bodies or tracheo tomies), tracheobronchial granulomas of infectious origin (tuberculosis), a nd selective cases of tracheobronchial tumor.