A case report a delayed diagnosis of tracheomalacia resulting in prolonged steroid therapy, repeated hospital admissions and CT scans

Abstract

A 30-year-old patient was admitted with shortness of breath and cough. Previous electronic entries state a history of asthma and hay fever. Repeated clerking by junior doctor states admission for treatment of likely exacerbation of asthma. The patient failed to fully improve with repeated courses of oral corticosteroids, regular nebulisers and oral antibiotics. The patient failed to improve even after several repeated admissions for similar admissions. On each admission she was subjected to CT scan and steroid courses, and at one point even had the authenticity of her symptoms questioned. Eventually she was found to have a case of tracheomalacia. Unfortunately, despite the eventual diagnosis, the patient has suffered side effects due to the delayed diagnosis and repeated treatment courses.