Medical image of the week: idiopathic subglottic stenosis

Abstract

No abstract available. Article truncated after 150 words. A 40 year-old previously healthy woman presented with a three-month history of exercise-induced shortness of breath. Clinical exam revealed inspiratory stridor. Spirometry was remarkable for flattening of the inspiratory and expiratory limbs of the flow-volume loop (Figure 1). Fiberoptic bronchoscopy revealed subglottic tracheal stenosis (Figure 2). The patient subsequently underwent successful balloon dilation of the involved segment and has remained symptom free. Tracheal stenosis may be related to previous airway trauma, collagen vascular disease, sarcoidosis, or vasculitis. The clinical presentation is characterized by exertional dyspnea with stridor. The flow-volume loop classically demonstrates a pattern of fixed upper airway obstruction, with flattening of both the inspiratory and expiratory limbs of the curve. CAT scanning is usually supportive of the diagnosis, and bronchoscopy is confirmatory. In the absence of an identifiable etiology, the condition is termed idiopathic tracheal stenosis. Idiopathic subglottic stenosis is a subgroup of tracheal stenosis that occurs in young …

Keywords

• subglottic
• tracheal
• stenosis
• trachea
• flow-volume loop
• bronchoscopy
• ballon dilatation
• treatment
• stridor
• spirometry
• fixed
• upper airway
• obstruction