Abstract
Background The aims of this study were to evaluate the results of endoscopic dilation for simple
benign airway stenosis in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients and whether
COVID-19 infection was associated with higher rate of recurrence compared with a control
group.
Methods It was an observational multicenter study including consecutive patients with simple
benign airway stenosis undergoing endoscopic dilatation with at least 6 months of
follow-up. The outcome of patients with COVID-19 infection was compared with that
of a control group in relation to patient and stenosis characteristics, and procedure
type. Then, univariable and multivariable analyses identified the risk factors for
recurrence.
Results Seventy-nine patients were included in the study; 56 (71%) of these developed airway
stenosis after COVID-19 infection. COVID-19 patients presented a higher rate of stenosis
due to prolonged intubation (82 vs. 43%; p = 0.0014); no other differences were found regarding demographic data, characteristics
of stenosis, and procedure type. Twenty-four (30%) patients had recurrence after first
dilatation (32% for No-COVID-19 vs. 26% for COVID-19 group; p = 0.70), and in 11 (35%) of these, the stenosis recurred after repeated endoscopic
treatment (65% for No-COVID-19 vs. 45% for COVID-19 group; p = 0.40). Subglottic stenosis (p = 0.013) and the use of laser (p = 0.016) were significant predictive factors for stenosis recurrence.
Conclusion COVID-19 infection did not affect the outcome of endoscopic treatment of simple airway
stenosis, and the treatment of these subsets of patients should not differ from that
of general population.
Keywords
benign stenosis - COVID-19 infection - rigid bronchoscopy - airway stenosis
