Complete tracheal rings are a birth defect in the cartilage rings that keep the trachea, or windpipe, from collapsing. A normal tracheal cartilage is C-shaped with a softer, posterior membrane consisting of muscle.
In complete tracheal rings, the trachea is made with several or more O-shaped rings. This condition is thought by some to occur from abnormal growth of the cartilage as compared to the muscular part of the normal trachea. The affected airway may involve just a few rings to most of the trachea and can extend into the left or right lung through the bronchi. Children with complete tracheal rings may have associated malformations, cardiac and pulmonary anomalies, Down syndrome, and Pfeiffer syndrome.
Endoscopic view of complete tracheal rings Doctors usually diagnose complete tracheal rings in newborns and infants. It is diagnosed less often later in childhood, with symptoms developing at a few months of age.
Some children may present in acute respiratory distress. Affected children may experience rapidly worsening symptoms in the face of an upper respiratory infection. Some children also may have problems with feeding.
This breathing is worse with colds or respiratory illnesses. How are complete tracheal rings diagnosed? Complete tracheal rings are diagnosed with a microlaryngoscopy and bronchoscopy.
Sometimes the child may need other x-rays or tests to check for other vascular blood vessel , heart, or lung abnormalities. Symptoms of a narrowed airway stenosis caused by complete tracheal rings include:. Complete tracheal rings are a rare disorder that is present at birth. It is usually associated with other abnormalities of the heart or lungs.
It may also be associated with Down syndrome and Pfeiffer syndrome. Tracheal rings can also be associated with a condition in which the pulmonary artery the artery carrying blood from the right ventricle of the heart to the lungs wraps around the trachea and causes a narrowing of the opening. The Center for Airway Disorders at Boston Children's Hospital is specifically designed to care for children with this rare condition.
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