Subglottic stenosis
| Subglottic stenosis | |
|---|---|
| Neck AP x-ray of patient with post-intubation subglottic stenosis, as shown by the narrowing in the tracheal lumen marked by the arrow. | |
| Specialty | Pulmonology, otolaryngology |
| Symptoms | Difficulty breathing |
| Usual onset | Any |
| Causes | Intubation, trauma, systemic or autoimmune diseases, cancer, idiopathic |
| Risk factors | Prolonged intubation, nasogastric tube |
| Diagnostic method | CT scan, MRI, OCT laryngoscopy |
Subglottic stenosis is a congenital or acquired narrowing of the subglottic airway. It can be congenital, acquired, iatrogenic, or very rarely, idiopathic. It is defined as the narrowing of the portion of the airway that lies between the vocal cords and the lower part of the cricoid cartilage. In a normal infant, the subglottic airway is 4.5-5.5 millimeters wide, while in a premature infant, the normal width is 3.5 millimeters. Subglottic stenosis is defined as a diameter of under 4 millimeters in an infant. Acquired cases are more common than congenital cases due to prolonged intubation being introduced in the 1960s. It is most frequently caused by certain medical procedures or external trauma, although infections and systemic or autoimmune diseases can also cause it.