Histopathologic Changes of Tracheal Mucosa in Burned Patients with Inhalation Injury

Chang, Jai Hyuk; Kim, Il Woo; Park, Il Seok; Kim, Beom Gyu; Kim, Yong Bok; Rho, Young Soo; Ahn, Hwoe Young; Kim, Jong Hyun; Shim, Jung Weon

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Inhalation injuries can produce a wide spectrum of negative clinical effects. Respiratory failure remains one of the leading causes of death in burned patients with inhalation injury. Despite advances in understanding of inhalation injury, few studies have focused on histopathologic findings of tracheal mucosa. The purpose of this study is to investigate histopathologic changes of tracheal mucosa in burned patients with inhalation injury.
SUBJECTS AND METHOD
Tracheotomy was performed on 31 patients who was admitted to the Hospital center from May 2005 to March 2006. Thirty-one patients were divided into two groups : patients with inhalation injury (group I)(n=16), patients without inhalation injury (group II)(n=15). Tracheal mucosa were taken out during the tracheotomy. The tracheal mucosa were read blindly by one pathologist.
RESULTS
Histopathologic examination showed the following finding in the tracheal mucosa of all patients in the group I : epithelial ulceration. Different findings were observed in the group I as time passed by after inhalation injury, such as interstitial edema, inflammatory cell infiltration, capillary dilatation, and increased fibrosis. No abnormal findings were observed in the tracheal mucosa in the group II.
CONCLUSION
Inhalation injuries cause histopathologic damages to tracheal mucosa. The different histopathologic findings of tracheal mucosa that take place in time following inhalation injuries suggest to process an inflammatory reaction. The study in related to clinical features should be needed due to tracheal mucosa injury may produce respiratory complications.