Palliative airway stenting performed under radiological guidance and local anesthesia.

Purpose: To assess the effectiveness of airway stenting performed exclusively under radiological guidance for the palliation of malignant tracheobronchial strictures.

Methods: We report our experience in 16 patients with malignant tracheobronchial stricture treated by insertion of 20 Ultraflex self-expandable metal stents performed under fluoroscopic guidance only. Three patients presented dysphagia grade IV due to esophageal malignant infiltration; they therefore underwent combined airway and esophageal stenting.

Postoperative radiologic evaluation of the esophagus.

A wide range of surgical procedures are performed for either benign and malignant esophageal lesions, that may be classified as demolitive or conservative interventions. The former is characterized by resection and replacement of the esophagus with another organ, whereas conservative surgery is obtained preserving esophageal function without resection. Knowledge of surgical techniques and major complications is extremely important for a correctly performed radiographic study and a proper interpretation of the imaging findings.