[Cervical Trachea Injury Caused by Suicide Attempt:Report of a Case].

Traumatic tracheal injuries are rare, but life-threatening. A 20-year-old man who became recluse stabbed in his neck by a kitchin knife for the purpose of suicide and was transferred to our hospital. He had stabbed wound about 8 cm in length in his anterior neck. No injury of lung, esophagus, cervical vessels was seen by cervical and chest enhanced computed tomography (CT). Emergency surgery was performed. Exploration of his neck revealed almost all of cartilage of trachea was cut in the hight just caudal to cricoid cartilage. The membranous portion of trachea was not injured. The cartilage of trachea was sutured. He was extubated on the 6th postoperative day and discharged on the 35th postoperative day. No injuries to his cervical vessels or esophagus must have contributed to his good postoperative course.j.