Rupture of the bronchus.

Rupture of the bronchus has become more common in the last decade, mainly due to an increase in road traffic accidents. In spite of this increase it is still relatively rare, and most thoracic surgeons do not have the personal experience of treating more than two or three cases in their life-time. In 1947 Kinsella and Johnsrud reviewed the world literature on intrathoracic rupture of the tracheo-bronchial tree and were able to collect 40 cases, none of which had been treated by primary repair of the lesion. The first successful repair of a bronchial injury due to a penetrating wound was performed by Paul Sanger in 1945, but it was not until 1949 that Griffiths successfully repaired a bronchus which had completely ruptured eight months previously. By 1959, in their review of the world literature, Hood and Sloan were able to collect 91 cases of tracheo-bronchial rupture. To this they added seven of their own. This increase over a period of 12 years reflects not only an increased incidence but also an increased awareness of the problem by the surgical profession.