Inflammatory Conditions of the Airway

Farzaneh Banki, MD, Douglas E. Wood

Key Points

  • Medical treatment is the first line of therapy for inflammatory conditions of the airway.
  • Surgical intervention is indicated for treatment of airway obstruction and in the presence of refractory response to medical therapy.
  • Discrete lesions with a known or predictable natural history are best treated by resection and bronchoplastic reconstruction.
  • Many patients are disabled by long-segment stenosis or an ongoing systemic disease and require aggressive and repeated interventional bronchoscopy to palliate the symptoms and signs of central airway obstruction.

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Last updated: July 18, 2023