[Tracheobronchography in the diagnosis of bronchial fistulas following pulmonectomy].

The authors present an analysis of contrast investigations of the trachea and the main bronchus stump in patients subjected to pneumonectomy (35 patients), the first group--with the presence of bronchial fistula and pleural empyema, the second group--with a suspicion to fistula in the stump. Tracheobronchography proved to be considerably more informative with respect to the diagnosis of bronchial fistula, than tracheobronchoscopy in patients of both groups. Contrast studies of the stump gave objective evidences as to the length and form of the stump, its communication with the pleural cavity, in 1/4 of patients it enabled the investigators to reveal the presence of cavaties adjacent to the stump in the mediastinum and to pinpoint further in indications to surgery. A more wide application of tracheobronchography for diagnosis of bronchial fistulas after pneumonectomy in largely advocated.