Learn About Acquired Tracheomalacia
Acquired tracheomalacia is a weakness and floppiness of the walls of the windpipe (trachea, or airway). It develops after birth.
Congenital tracheomalacia is a related topic.
Secondary tracheomalacia
Acquired tracheomalacia is very uncommon at any age. It occurs when normal cartilage in the wall of the windpipe begins to break down.
This form of tracheomalacia may result:
- When large blood vessels put pressure on the airway
- As a complication after surgery to repair birth defects in the windpipe and esophagus (the tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach)
- After having a breathing tube or trachea tube (tracheostomy) for a long time
Symptoms of tracheomalacia include:
- Breathing problems that get worse with coughing, crying, or upper respiratory infections, such as a cold
- Breathing noises that may change when body position changes, and improve during sleep
- High-pitched breathing
- Rattling, noisy breaths
The condition may improve without treatment. However, people with tracheomalacia must be monitored closely when they have respiratory infections.
Adults with breathing problems may need continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). Rarely, surgery is needed. A hollow tube called a stent may be placed to hold the airway open.
Milford Regional Physician Group, Inc.
Ryan Shipe is a Pulmonary Medicine specialist and an Intensive Care Medicine provider in Hopedale, Massachusetts. Dr. Shipe and is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Acquired Tracheomalacia. His top areas of expertise are Pneumonia, Emphysema, Pleural Effusion, Endoscopy, and Gastrostomy. Dr. Shipe is currently accepting new patients.
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Inc.
Donald Annino is an Otolaryngologist in Milford, Massachusetts. Dr. Annino and is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Acquired Tracheomalacia. His top areas of expertise are Tongue Cancer, Acinic Cell Carcinoma of Salivary Glands, Salivary Gland Tumors, Myringotomy, and Gastrostomy. Dr. Annino is currently accepting new patients.
Mass Lung And Allergy PC
Plutarco Castellanos is a Pulmonary Medicine specialist and an Intensive Care Medicine provider in Webster, Massachusetts. Dr. Castellanos and is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Acquired Tracheomalacia. His top areas of expertise are Lung Metastases, Pneumonia, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Gastrostomy, and Advanced Bronchoscopy. Dr. Castellanos is currently accepting new patients.
Aspiration pneumonia (a lung infection) can occur from breathing in food or saliva.
Adults who develop tracheomalacia after being on a breathing machine often have serious lung problems.
Contact your health care provider if you or your child breathes in an abnormal way. Tracheomalacia can become an urgent or emergency condition.
Summary: This study will investigate the role of a portable Continues Positive Airway Pressure device (pCPAP) in management of patients with symptomatic Excessive Central Airway Collapse (ECAC). ECAC is characterised by complete or partial collapse of central airways on exhalation. In some cases, this can cause persistent breathlessness and severely limited exercise capacity. Current treatment options for ...
Published Date: April 25, 2023
Published By: Charles I. Schwartz, MD, FAAP, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, General Pediatrician at PennCare for Kids, Phoenixville, PA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Finder JD. Bronchomalacia and tracheomalacia. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, Shah SS, Tasker RC, Wilson KM, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 21st ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 416.
Green GE, Ohye RG. Diagnosis and management of tracheal anomalies and tracheal stenosis. In: Flint PW, Francis HW, Haughey BH, et al, eds. Cummings Otolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 210.
Little BP. Tracheal diseases. In: Walker CM, Chung JH, eds. Muller's Imaging of the Chest. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2019:chap 56.