Traumatic Bronchial Rupture with Plastic Repair

RUPTURE of the main bronchus, not long ago considered rare, is now relatively common. The augmented prevalence may in part be due to improved diagnosis but also is a result of the increasing number of automobile accidents. Kinsella and Johnsrud,1 in a summary of the literature, found that 38 cases had been reported up to 1947. They added 2 cases of their own. In only 2 had successful repair of a bronchus been accomplished. These were reported in 1945 by Sanger2 and involved immediate suture of bronchial tears produced by shell fragments. It is interesting that these are the only . . .