PORCINE MODEL OF AIRWAY MUCOSAL INJURY

Purpose: The development of a reliable animal model of laryngeal or tr acheal stenosis has been limited by lack of reproducibility, high morb idity and mortality, and cumbersome technique. The small size of previ ously proposed models has limited the development of innovative recons tructive techniques. Materials and Methods: Eleven of 15 post-weanling commercial piglets underwent injury by a sharpened metal rod to the a nterior half of the subglottic region at repeated intervals under endo scopic guidance. Four of 15 animals did not undergo injury and served as control for normal subglottic growth over time. Each airway was siz ed by endotracheal tube (ETT) passage and endoscopic photography over time, and the degree of total stenosis was estimated in comparison to the control animals. Results: The first two animals underwent daily in jury and expired from copious granulation tissue. Eight additional ani mals developed symptomatic subglottic stenosis manifested by audible s trider and intercostal retractions while undergoing injury every third day. Photographs documented the size of the stenosis to be greater th an 50% (40% by ETT sizing) with a mean of three injuries in a mean tim e of 18 days. Conclusion: The porcine model shows a high degree of tol erance with minimal morbidity and consistent reliable results in an an imal model of airway stenosis that is suitable for further innovative studies. Copyright (C) 1997 by W.B. Saunders Company.