Abstract: Objective To investigate the efficacy and safety of balloon dilatation compared with cryotherapy combined with balloon dilatation in the management of airway stenosis caused by scar stenosis type of tracheobronchial tuberculosis. Methods A total of 60 patients who were diagnosed as airway stenosis caused by scar stenosis type of tracheobronchial tuberculosis from February 2010 to April 2015 in the partment of Tuberculosis of the Third people's hospital of Shenzhen were enrolled. All patients were divided into 2 groups according to seal the envelope method. Simple balloon expansion treatment method was implemeted in the control group (n=30), and cryotherapy combined with balloon expansion through bronchoscopewas implemented in the experimental group (n=30). The effective rate of postoperative treatment, the incidence of complications with andtracheal restenosis at the third month after treatment were compared between the two groups and the ratio of forced expiratory volume to forced vital capacity and airway inner diameter were measured before treatment and 1 second after treatment. Results The effective rates of treatment in the control group and the experimental group were 66.67% (20/30) and 93.33% (28/30), respectively, with statistically significant differences between the two groups(P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, patients in the experimental group had higher 1 month of the first second forced expiratory volume and the ratio of the forced vital capacity, airway diameter measured values, and there was also a difference in the two group of patients(all P < 0.05).Patients in the experimental group had lower incidence of chest pain, hemoptysis, aerothorax (43.33%, 6.67%, 6.67%) compared with in control group patients (50.00%, 10.00%, 10.00%), However, the difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05).In the experimental group and control group , the incidence of tracheal restenosis in the third month after treatment was 6.67%、26.67%, indicating that index comparison test of statistical significance(P < 0.05). Conclusion Cryotherapy combined with balloon dilatation through electronic bronchoscope was a very effective and safe method in the management of airway stenosis caused by scar stenosis of tracheobronchial, and it deserves to be applied and spreaded in the clinic.

Key words: Bronchoscope, Cryotherapy, Balloon dilatation, Tracheobronchial tuberculosis, Airway stenosis