We report a case of congenital tracheal stenosis. The patient was examined for the first time when at 3 years old and presented with expiratory dyspnea, polipnea, barking cough, and jugular and epigastric retractions. He had a history of recurring episodes of dyspnea with bronchospasm occurring with every infectious episode and a poor response to therapy. The first diagnosis was asthma. Over a period of 6 years, the patient was subjected to the following examinations: spirometry, tracheal radiography, and bronchoscopy, resulting in a final diagnosis of congenital tracheal stenosis. The condition was managed successfully in a conservative way, even if surgical possibilities were available and taken into consideration. Over 13 years of follow-up, spiral TC showed an increase in tracheal cross-section at the site of the stenosis, and a significant reduction in symptomology was noted. Complete cartilaginous tracheal rings have growth potential, and therefore conservative treatment is recommended in light of the fact that surgical treatment is risky and must be avoided whenever possible.
Every case of wheezing is not asthma- Congenital stridor, brochpspasm, and recurrent pneumonia in a child with congenital tracheal stenosis
ANTOGNAZZA, SARA;NOSETTI, LUANA;NESPOLI, LUIGI
2004-01-01
Abstract
We report a case of congenital tracheal stenosis. The patient was examined for the first time when at 3 years old and presented with expiratory dyspnea, polipnea, barking cough, and jugular and epigastric retractions. He had a history of recurring episodes of dyspnea with bronchospasm occurring with every infectious episode and a poor response to therapy. The first diagnosis was asthma. Over a period of 6 years, the patient was subjected to the following examinations: spirometry, tracheal radiography, and bronchoscopy, resulting in a final diagnosis of congenital tracheal stenosis. The condition was managed successfully in a conservative way, even if surgical possibilities were available and taken into consideration. Over 13 years of follow-up, spiral TC showed an increase in tracheal cross-section at the site of the stenosis, and a significant reduction in symptomology was noted. Complete cartilaginous tracheal rings have growth potential, and therefore conservative treatment is recommended in light of the fact that surgical treatment is risky and must be avoided whenever possible.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.