The saw-tooth sign as a clinical clue for intrathoracic central airway obstruction

BMC Research Notes

Hajime Goto¹  Hajime Takizawa¹  Hidefumi Takei²  Yoko Nakazato²  Haruyuki Ishii¹  Saori Takata¹  Takeshi Saraya¹  Akira Nakajima¹ 

[1] Departments of Respiratory Medicine, Kyorin University School of Medicine, 6-20-2 Shinkawa, Mitaka City, Tokyo, 181-8611, Japan;Departments of General Surgery, Kyorin University School of Medicine, Tokyo, 181-8611, Japan

关键词: Flow volume curve;    Three-dimensional thoracic computed tomography;    Lung cancer;    Intrathoracic central airway obstruction;    Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome;    Saw-tooth sign;   

Others  :  1166058
DOI  :  10.1186/1756-0500-5-388

 received in 2012-06-29, accepted in 2012-07-16,  发布年份 2012

【 摘 要 】

Background

The saw-tooth sign was first described by Sanders et al in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome as one cause of extrathoracic central airway obstruction. The mechanism of the saw-tooth sign has not been conclusively clarified. The sign has also been described in various extrathoracic central airway diseases, such as in burn victims with thermal injury to the upper airways, Parkinson’s disease, tracheobronchomalacia, laryngeal dyskinesia, and pedunculated tumors of the upper airway.

Case presentation

A 61-year-old man was referred to our hospital with a two-month history of persistent dry cough and dyspnea. He was diagnosed with lung cancer located in an intrathoracic central airway, which was accompanied by the saw-tooth sign on flow-volume loops. This peculiar sign repeatedly improved and deteriorated, in accordance with the waxing and waning of central airway stenosis by anti-cancer treatments.

Conclusion

This report suggests that the so-called saw-tooth sign may be found even in intrathoracic central airway obstruction due to lung cancer.

【 授权许可】

   
2012 Nakajima et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

【 图 表 】

Figure 1.

Figure 2.

【 参考文献 】

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