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News
A small study suggests paclitaxel-coated balloon (PCB) dilation could be a meaningful option for patients with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) who face recurring airway narrowing. In six patients, PCB dilation nearly doubled the time between interventions—from 1.61 to 3.45 months—with zero complications reported. Experts call the results promising but stress the need for larger, controlled trials.
For patients with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA)—a rare autoimmune disease that can cause progressive airway narrowing—repeated bronchoscopy procedures are often an exhausting reality. A new small study presented at the Annual Conference of the American Association for Bronchology and Interventional Pulmonology suggests that paclitaxel-coated balloon (PCB) dilation may help break that cycle by extending the time between interventions.
Researchers at the Mayo Clinic reviewed data from six adults with GPA-related airway stenosis who underwent PCB dilation between December 2024 and December 2025. The patients had already undergone an average of 4.65 prior airway procedures. After PCB treatment, the median time between procedures nearly doubled, and no procedural or delayed complications were recorded.
By the Numbers
Why it matters: GPA-related airway stenosis is notoriously difficult to manage, often trapping patients in a cycle of repeated procedures. If larger studies confirm these early findings, PCB dilation could meaningfully reduce procedural burden, lower cumulative risks, and cut costs for both patients and healthcare systems. Experts emphasize that a controlled trial comparing PCB to conventional balloon dilation is the critical next step.
