Affiliation:
1. Department of Maternal Infantile and Urological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
Abstract
Background:
Congenital tracheal stenosis is defined as the narrowing of the airway lumen
due to the abnormal formation of complete tracheal cartilage rings. It may present with different
clinical pictures, depending on the range and extent of stenosis. We present two cases of congenital
tracheal stenosis, with a different range of severity and, consequently, different treatment
approaches.
Case Presentation:
We describe the case of a 3-month-old infant with breathing noise that worsened
particularly when crying and after nutrition. He presented a congenital funnel-shaped
tracheal stenosis with an associated tracheal bronchus, which was treated endoscopically with an
endobronchial stent. The second presented case is of a newborn who presented severe respiratory
distress and inspiratory stridor in the first hours of life. A congenital cylindrical tracheal stenosis
was diagnosed and it was treated surgically through slide tracheoplasty.
Discussion:
These two cases showed us that congenital tracheal stenosis can present with a very
variable clinical picture. Thus, according to clinical presentation, different treatments can be considered.
Conclusion:
We underline the importance of considering congenital tracheal stenosis in the differential
diagnosis of prolonged wheezing and recurrent airway infections.
Publisher
Bentham Science Publishers Ltd.