Introduction: Stenosing airway disease is unfrequent in the pediatric age group and includes intraluminal obstructions, extrinsic compressions and malacias.
Objective: To show our experience in the treatment of congenital and acquired tracheal stenosis (CTS and ATS) and suprastomal tracheal collapse (STC).
Patients and methods: Since 1990, 24 patients have been evaluated in our Unit: Ten CTS, 5 ATS and 9 STC. We have studied the following parameters: Sex, age at diagnosis, ethiology, type of lesion, associated anomalies, treatment, postoperative intubation, length of hospital stay, number of bronchoscopies, complications and follow-up.
Results: 14 girls and 10 boys are included in this survey. Age at diagnosis ranged from 3 days to 12 years and associated anomalies were present in 75% of cases. We have treated 22 of the 24 patients with the following procedures: Costal cartilage tracheoplasty (6 cases), slide tracheoplasty (2), resection and anastomosis (3), anterior cricoid suspension (8), dilation (2) and laser resection (1). We have achieved good results in 17 patients (77%), bad in 4 (18%) and fair in one.
Conclusions: Due to the variety of stenotic lesions, we think that treatment should be tailored to each particular case and performed by a multidisciplinary pediatric team in order to achieve the best results.