Clinical analysis of 53 cases of tracheal stenosis in children

SUN Qiu-feng; LIN Li-hua; CHEN Li-li; YANG Yun-gang

doi:10.19538/j.ek2025090611

Abstract：Objective To analyze the clinical characteristics of tracheal stenosis in pediatric patients and compare the clinical features between congenital and secondary tracheal stenosis.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical data of pediatric inpatients diagnosed with tracheal stenosis through bronchoscopy at the Department of Pediatrics,First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University from January 1,2012,to December 31,2021.Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 28.0 software.Results A total of 53 cases were included(30 males,23 females)with a median age of 8.7 months.Children under 1 year of age accounted for 72.2％of cases.Chronic respiratory symptoms were the predominant manifestation in 60％of patients,including chronic cough,stridor,laryngeal wheezing,and recurrent wheezing.Among the 53 cases,25 were diagnosed with congenital tracheal stenosis(CTS),all of which showed complete tracheal rings affecting various tracheal segments.Twenty-eight cases were secondary tracheal stenosis(STS),with 24 cases caused by cardiovascular compression,primarily from the aortic system,and all were external compression stenosis of the middle and lower trachea.Two cases presented with endotracheal membranous formation,resulting in luminal stenosis.Concomitant airway malformations were more prevalent in CTS compared to STS,with a significantly higher tracheal-bronchial ratio than STS.Fifty-two patients showed improvement after conservative medical management,including anti-infection therapy and airway management,and were discharged.Conclusion Tracheal stenosis predominantly affects infants under one year of age,typically presenting with chronic respiratory symptoms.Chest CT combined with bronchoscopy can accurately evaluate pediatric tracheal stenosis.Clinical manifestations differ between congenital and secondary tracheal stenosis.