complete tracheal rings

Complete tracheal rings are a rare, isolated tracheal or tracheobronchial anomaly resulting from abnormal cartilage growth, forming a complete ring and often causing airway stenosis.

Clinical presentation

Clinically, it manifests as respiratory distress in infants or mild symptomatic airway compromise in children.

Pathology

The etiology of complete tracheal rings is unknown .

Associations

• aberrant left pulmonary artery (pulmonary artery sling) in 35-50%
• >75% have associated esophageal, cardiac, skeletal, and/or genitourinary anomalies
  • congenital heart disease in 25%
• trisomy 21

Treatment and prognosis

Pericardial patch tracheoplasty, cartilage tracheoplasty and slide tracheoplasty are the available surgical options for repair .