Work

Rapidly progressive squamous cell carcinoma in a tracheostomy-dependent patient: A case of delayed care and fatal outcome

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Tracheostomy-dependent patients face heightened risks of airway complications, including malignancy. This case report describes a 62-year-old male with a 15-year tracheostomy history due to traumatic brain injury, who developed rapidly progressive ulcerative squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) at the tracheostomy site. Persistent hemoptysis and ulceration were initially managed as infection, delaying diagnostic biopsy. By the time SCC was confirmed, extensive local invasion and metastasis precluded curative treatment. Palliative radiotherapy and chemotherapy failed to halt progression, leading to death within 4 months of diagnosis. This case underscores the critical need for early malignancy surveillance in tracheostomy-dependent patients and the consequences of delayed intervention.

Source: Acta Oto-Laryngologica Case Reports

DOI: 10.1080/23772484.2025.2509660

Authors: Yasser Al-Ghabra, Mohammed Hamdi, Abdulmajeed Yousfan

Institution: Damascus University

Language: English

Topic: Tracheal and airway disorders

Subfield: Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $484