Idiopathic subglottic stenosis in a young female patient

Abstract

A previously healthy 30-year-old woman presented with 3 years of progressive shortness of breath and audible wheezing. One year prior to presentation, she developed a chronic non-productive cough. Pulmonary function testing revealed flattened inspiratory and expiratory peaks, characteristic of an extrathoracic fixed tracheal obstruction. Bronchoscopy confirmed subglottic stenosis (SGS). She had no history of intubation, tracheostomy or evidence of a systemic inflammatory illness. She was diagnosed with idiopathic SGS and referred for rigid bronchoscopy with balloon dilatation resulting in improvement in her symptoms.