Resection of acquired tracheal stenosis in childhood.

In a series of 74 tracheal resections, six were performed in boys aged 2 to 13 years. One patient was intubated shortly after operation because of bulbar paralysis with swallowing difficulties. He died 5 months later of traumatic hydrocephalus. Another patient was reintubated because of an accompanying nondiagnosed glottis stenosis which later was treated successfully. Four patients have been followed up from 4 to 10 years. In these patients tracheoscopy and x-ray examination have shown that the anastomosis has grown at the same rate as the rest of the trachea. It is concluded that operation can be performed in children at any age provided that swallowing is normal and accompanying laryngeal stenosis is excluded.