Tracheobronchial ruptures in children.

Tracheobronchial ruptures in children after blunt trauma are rare, with an incidence at our clinic of 0.17% of juvenile thoracic injuries in the years 1985 to 1994. The symptoms are variable, and these injuries frequently occur in conjunction with other thoracic injuries, leading to delays in diagnosis. Diagnosis, conservative and operative treatment, and late complications are discussed by presenting four different cases of children with lesions of the tracheobronchial tree after blunt trauma.