Fatal migration of an endobronchial stent into the pulmonary artery.

To cite: Plönes T, Koryllos A, Beckers F, et al. BMJ Case Rep Published online: [please include Day Month Year] doi:10.1136/ bcr-2013-009650 DESCRIPTION A 64-year-old woman was referred to our department with progressive dyspnoea and haemoptysis. Half a year ago a metallic endobronchial stent was inserted in the left main bronchus due to a benign stenosis after sleeve resection for lung cancer. A CT showed the stent with erosion of the left pulmonary artery and newly diagnosed pulmonary metastasis (figure 1). We decided to perform a palliative pneumonectomy for symptom control. Intraoperative findings confirmed the migration of the endobronchial stent through the bronchial wall to the left pulmonary artery (figure 2). Unfortunately, the patient died intraoperatively due to an uncontrollable bleeding. However, endobronchial stenting is a wellestablished procedure in the management of benign or malign pathologies causing central airway obstruction, and endobronchial stents can be placed safely under general anaesthesia by rigid bronchoscopy. Since the development of airway stents in the 1960s, the use of airway stents increased rapidly, but too little is known about major complications. Especially in benign airway stenosis, the long-term placement of airway stents provides an underestimated risk. Fatal complications including migration of airway stents in the aorta, pulmonary artery or other important anatomic structures are reported only anecdotally, but occur probably more frequently than reported.