[Changes in tracheal and lung sounds before and after resection of adenoid cystic carcinoma of the trachea]

A 79-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with complaints of wheezing and dyspnea. Adenoid cystic carcinoma was diagnosed from the findings on biopsy specimens obtained by fiberoptic bronchoscopy. The tumor was resected and end-to-end anastomosis was performed. Precision analyses of lung sounds were conducted before and after the operation. During eupnea the tracheal sounds prior to operation contained an accentuated, high-frequency component at about 1,500 Hz. The tracheal sounds included a single monophonic wheeze during deep inspiration and 5 wheezes during forced expiration. By contrast, lung sounds in the chest wall were almost normal both before and after the operation. We concluded that increases in high-frequency components in tracheal sounds and the manifestation of various wheezes can be useful in diagnosing tracheal stenosis and/or tumors.