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The European Respiratory Journal Sep 2019Tracheomalacia and tracheobronchomalacia may be primary abnormalities of the large airways or associated with a wide variety of congenital and acquired conditions. The...
Tracheomalacia and tracheobronchomalacia may be primary abnormalities of the large airways or associated with a wide variety of congenital and acquired conditions. The evidence on diagnosis, classification and management is scant. There is no universally accepted classification of severity. Clinical presentation includes early-onset stridor or fixed wheeze, recurrent infections, brassy cough and even near-death attacks, depending on the site and severity of the lesion. Diagnosis is usually made by flexible bronchoscopy in a free-breathing child but may also be shown by other dynamic imaging techniques such as low-contrast volume bronchography, computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging. Lung function testing can provide supportive evidence but is not diagnostic. Management may be medical or surgical, depending on the nature and severity of the lesions, but the evidence base for any therapy is limited. While medical options that include bronchodilators, anti-muscarinic agents, mucolytics and antibiotics (as well as treatment of comorbidities and associated conditions) are used, there is currently little evidence for benefit. Chest physiotherapy is commonly prescribed, but the evidence base is poor. When symptoms are severe, surgical options include aortopexy or posterior tracheopexy, tracheal resection of short affected segments, internal stents and external airway splinting. If respiratory support is needed, continuous positive airway pressure is the most commonly used modality either a face mask or tracheostomy. Parents of children with tracheobronchomalacia report diagnostic delays and anxieties about how to manage their child's condition, and want more information. There is a need for more research to establish an evidence base for malacia. This European Respiratory Society statement provides a review of the current literature to inform future study.
Topics: Bronchomalacia; Bronchoscopy; Child; Europe; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Multidetector Computed Tomography; Physical Therapy Modalities; Pulmonary Medicine; Respiratory Function Tests; Respiratory Sounds; Societies, Medical; Tracheomalacia
PubMed: 31320455
DOI: 10.1183/13993003.00382-2019 -
Diagnosis and management of chronic cough: similarities and differences between children and adults.F1000Research 2020Cough is a natural process that protects the airway. Cough can occur spontaneously or voluntarily. It is considered chronic when it is present for longer than 4 weeks in... (Review)
Review
Cough is a natural process that protects the airway. Cough can occur spontaneously or voluntarily. It is considered chronic when it is present for longer than 4 weeks in children or 8 weeks in adults. In both, chronic cough causes patient distress and increased healthcare utilization. Etiologies of pediatric chronic cough include asthma, protracted bacterial bronchitis, tracheomalacia, habit cough, and various systemic disorders. While some diagnoses are identifiable by careful history alone, others require testing guided by specific pointers. Flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy has been an important tool to identify etiologies of chronic cough that were not otherwise apparent. In adults, asthma and bronchitis are well-defined etiologies of chronic cough, but much chronic cough in adults is largely a conundrum. Reviews of adult chronic cough report that at least 40% of adults with chronic cough have no medical explanation. Gastroesophageal reflux and upper airway cough syndrome (a.k.a. post-nasal drip) have been common diagnoses of chronic cough, but those diagnoses have no support from controlled clinical trials and have been subjected to multiple published critiques. Cough hypersensitivity is considered to be an explanation for chronic cough in adults who have no other confirmed diagnosis. Gabapentin, a neuromodulator, has been associated with a modest effect in adults, as has speech pathology. While habit cough has not generally been a diagnosis in adults, there is evidence for a behavioral component in adults with chronic cough. Treatment for a specific diagnosis provides a better outcome than trials of cough suppression in the absence of a specific diagnosis. More data are needed for chronic cough in adults to examine the hypothesized cough hypersensitivity and behavioral management. This article reviews etiologies and the treatment of chronic cough in children and the conundrum of diagnosing and treating chronic cough in adults.
Topics: Adult; Asthma; Bronchitis; Child; Chronic Disease; Cough; Gastroesophageal Reflux; Humans
PubMed: 32765833
DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.25468.1 -
Annals of Cardiothoracic Surgery Mar 2018Numerous benign and malignant tracheal diseases may affect the trachea primarily and secondarily. While the posterior anterior (PA) and lateral chest radiograph is the... (Review)
Review
Numerous benign and malignant tracheal diseases may affect the trachea primarily and secondarily. While the posterior anterior (PA) and lateral chest radiograph is the conventional study for initial evaluation of the trachea and central airways, findings may not always be apparent on conventional radiographs, and further evaluation with cross sectional imaging is usually necessary. Computed tomography (CT) is the imaging modality of choice for imaging the trachea and bronchi. Familiarity with the imaging appearances of the normal and diseased trachea will enhance diagnostic evaluation.
PubMed: 29707497
DOI: 10.21037/acs.2018.03.09 -
Bioelectronic Medicine 2019Congenital tracheomalacia and tracheal stenosis are commonly seen in premature infants. In adulthood, are typically related with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,... (Review)
Review
Congenital tracheomalacia and tracheal stenosis are commonly seen in premature infants. In adulthood, are typically related with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and can occur secondarily from tracheostomy, prolong intubation, trauma, infection and tumors. Both conditions are life-threatening when not managed properly. There are still some surgical limitations for certain pathologies, however tissue engineering is a promising approach to treat massive airway dysfunctions. 3D-bioprinting have contributed to current preclinical and clinical efforts in airway reconstruction. Several strategies have been used to overcome the difficulty of airway reconstruction such as scaffold materials, construct designs, cellular types, biologic components, hydrogels and animal models used in tracheal reconstruction. Nevertheless, additional long-term in vivo studies need to be performed to assess the efficacy and safety of tissue-engineered tracheal grafts in terms of mechanical properties, behavior and, the possibility of further stenosis development.
PubMed: 32232104
DOI: 10.1186/s42234-019-0031-1 -
The American Surgeon Jul 2023Tracheostomy for prolonged ventilation of patients with COVID-19 was often delayed due to high viral loads and persistent high ventilatory requirements. With prolonged... (Review)
Review
Tracheostomy for prolonged ventilation of patients with COVID-19 was often delayed due to high viral loads and persistent high ventilatory requirements. With prolonged intubation and significant dose corticosteroid use, patients with COVID-19 are at risk for tracheomalacia, and urgent tube exchange may be required to address persistent cuff leak and to maintain adequate mechanical ventilation. We sought to describe our single center experience with COVID-19 patients requiring tracheostomy and the tracheal complications that followed. We performed a review of patients with COVID-19 who underwent tracheostomy from June 2020 to October 2021. 45 patients were identified; 82.2% survived their index hospitalization. Tracheostomy was performed after 16.4 days of mechanical ventilation. 22.2% required urgent exchange to an extended length tracheostomy tube after 7.2 days from initial tracheostomy. Placement of an extended length tracheostomy tube can reduce cuff leak in ventilated COVID-19 patients and may be considered during initial tracheostomy placement.
Topics: Humans; Tracheostomy; Tracheomalacia; COVID-19; Trachea; Respiration, Artificial
PubMed: 36852728
DOI: 10.1177/00031348231160829 -
Seminars in Pediatric Surgery Dec 2022Anomalies in tracheo-esophageal development result in a spectrum of congenital malformations ranging from, most commonly, esophageal atresia with or without...
Anomalies in tracheo-esophageal development result in a spectrum of congenital malformations ranging from, most commonly, esophageal atresia with or without trachea-esophageal fistula (EA+/-TEF) to esophageal web, duplication, stricture, tracheomalacia and tracheal agenesis. Despite the relative frequency of EA, however, the underlying etiology remains unknown and is likely due to a combination of genetic, epigenetic and environmental factors. In recent years, animal models have dramatically increased our understanding of the molecular and morphological processes involved in normal esophageal development during the key stages of anterior-posterior regionalization, dorsal-ventral patterning and morphogenic separation. Moreover, the use of animal models in conjunction with increasingly advanced techniques such as genomic sequencing, sophisticated live imaging studies and organoid models have more recently cast light on potential mechanisms involved in EA pathogenesis. This article aims to unravel some of the mysteries behind the anatomy and embryology of EA whilst providing insights into future directions for research.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Tracheoesophageal Fistula; Esophageal Atresia; Trachea; Tracheomalacia
PubMed: 36459913
DOI: 10.1016/j.sempedsurg.2022.151231