Idiopathic subglottic stenosis: an epidemiological single-center study

A retrospective epidemiological study of patients treated for idiopathic subglottic stenosis (ISS) during 2003–2013 at Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet, was undertaken to assess its incidence, management and treatment outcomes. Out of a total of 123 patients with subglottic stenosis (84 female, 39 men), 38 patients were diagnosed with ISS, all of whom were female. Of these, 23 lived in the South-Eastern Norway Regional Health Authority, representing an incidence of 0.2 per 100,000 (95% CI 0.13–0.3) in this region of 2.9 million inhabitants. Mean age at diagnosis was 54 years (range 20–85 years), and the mean interval between symptom onset and diagnosis was 3.1 years. The 38 patients with ISS underwent a total of 132 operations between 2003 and 2013. All patients were managed endoscopically using laser surgery, with or without corticosteroids and Mitomycin C, with dilatation by balloon or bougie. Eight patients (21.1%) required only one procedure, while 30 patients (78.9%) had multiple operations. The median follow-up for all patients from the first operation was 5.3 years. The mean interval between procedures was 1 year for patients aged 20–48 years, 1.3 years for patients aged 49–61 years and 3.0 years for patients aged 62–85 years. No clinically significant complications were observed. In conclusion, the symptoms of ISS can be treated effectively with laser surgery and dilatation but the recurrence rate remains high and the time interval between operations does not increase with time, making ISS a continuing challenge.