Subglottic Stenosis

Excerpt

Subglottic stenosis is a condition that can affect individuals of all age groups, presenting with a spectrum of symptoms that can vary from mild discomfort to potentially life-threatening airway obstruction. The subglottis region is defined as the space extending 1 cm below the lateral margin of the ventricle to the inferior border of the cricoid cartilage. The subglottis occupies the region between the glottis superiorly and the trachea inferiorly.

The subglottis is the only upper or proximal lower airway segment encircled by a complete cartilaginous ring called the cricoid cartilage. This distinctive anatomical feature renders the subglottis particularly susceptible to stenosis.

The subglottic lumen in full-term neonates has an average diameter of 4.5 to 5.5 mm, whereas it tends to exhibit a slightly smaller average diameter of 3.5 mm in premature infants. As people age, the dimension of the subglottic lumen naturally increases until it reaches an adult size of 11.6 mm in women and 15 mm in men.

Stenosis in neonates is defined as a subglottic diameter of less than 4 mm in full-term neonates or 3 mm in premature neonates. However, there is no universally accepted diameter criterion for diagnosing stenosis in adults.