Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Case Reports
. 2024 Mar 6:16:29-33.
doi: 10.2147/DHPS.S438510. eCollection 2024.

Obstructive Fibrinous Tracheal Pseudomembrane Following Repeated Intratracheal Interventions

Wei Tang  1 , Wenlai Zhou #  1 , Xiangde Zheng #  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Obstructive Fibrinous Tracheal Pseudomembrane Following Repeated Intratracheal Interventions

Wei Tang et al. Drug Healthc Patient Saf. .

Abstract

Obstructive fibrinous tracheal pseudomembrane (OFTP) is a relatively rare complication of endotracheal intubation. Despite being well documented, the exact pathogenesis of OFTP remains unclear. Some studies suggest that it may arise from the early stage of ischemic tracheal wall injury caused by the cuff pressure during intubation. Diagnosis and treatment of OFTP can be facilitated through therapeutic bronchoscopy. In this case report, we describe a patient who presented with dyspnea following repeated intratracheal interventions and was diagnosed with OFTP. The patient was successfully treated with bronchoscopic cryotherapy and was subsequently discharged from the hospital.

Keywords: OFTP; dyspnea; intratracheal interventions; intubation; pseudomembrane.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Endoscopic view of the tracheal pseudomembrane.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Specimens (a) clamped from the gas channel with bronchoscopic forceps and the collected pseudomembrane (b).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Histopathology of the specimen exhibiting a large number of red blood cells mixed with fibrinous exudate at ×200 magnification (a) and ×400 magnification (b).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Sandur S, Stoller JK. Pulmonary complications of mechanical ventilation. Clin Chest Med. 1999;20(2):223–247. doi: 10.1016/S0272-5231(05)70139-8 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Sehgal IS, Dhooria S, Bal A, et al. Obstructive fibrinous tracheal pseudomembrane after endotracheal intubation. Resp Care. 2016;61(9):1260–1266. doi: 10.4187/respcare.04662 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Patolia S, Enriquez D, Schmidt F, et al. Obstructive fibrinous tracheal pseudomembrane. J Bronchol Intervent Pulmonol. 2013;20(1):63–65. doi: 10.1097/LBR.0b013e318281a332 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Ammar Y, Vella-Boucaud J, Launois C, et al. Obstructive fibrinous tracheal pseudomembrane. Anesth Analg. 2017;125(1):172–175. doi: 10.1213/ANE.0000000000001408 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Soong WJ, Jeng MJ, Lee YS, et al. Pediatric obstructive fibrinous tracheal pseudomembrane—characteristics and management with flexible bronchoscopy. Int J Pediatr Otorhi. 2011;75(8):1005–1009. doi: 10.1016/j.ijporl.2011.04.020 - DOI - PubMed

Publication types