The use of a Fogarty Catheter in a Case of an Endobronchial Blood Clot in a Laryngectomy Patient

Introduction: Endobronchial blood clot causing airway obs­ truction is a rare but potentially life­threatening condition and can occur in a variety of clinical settings. Case report: A male laryngectomy, with a background of bronchogenic carcinoma was treated conservatively for tra­ cheitis following an episode of upper respiratory tract infection. However, he later developed airway obstruction secondary to endobronchial bleeding with endobronchial clot formation. Con­ ventional methods of suctioning and rigid bronchoscopy with forceps failed to remove the hematoma. A Fogarty embolec­ tomy catheter was used to remove the hematoma, relieving the airway obstruction. Discussion: The Fogarty embolectomy catheter has been widely used in various vascular operations for removal of arterial and venous emboli over the last years. However, its application in nonvascular cases is not widely published. Conclusion: We report a case of tracheitis, complicated by an endobronchial clot in a laryngectomy patient, and demonstrated the use of Fogarty embolectomy catheter in such case when conventional methods fail.