The prognosis for this disorder often depends on the underlying cause. Stents have been used frequently, and successfully, for correction of the airway collapse. Please discuss these issues with your children's physicians. The following article may be of interest to you.
Authors
Masters IB. Chang AB. Patterson L. Wainwright C. Buntain H. Dean BW. Francis PW.
Institution
Department of Respiratory Medicine, Royal Children's Hospital, Herston, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. brent_masters***@****
Title
Series of laryngomalacia, tracheomalacia, and bronchomalacia disorders and their associations with other conditions in children.
Source
Pediatric Pulmonology. 34(3):189-95, 2002 Sep.
Abstract
Laryngomalacia, bronchomalacia, and tracheomalacia are commonly seen in pediatric respiratory medicine, yet their patterns and associations with other conditions are not well-understood. We prospectively video-recorded bronchoscopic data and clinical information from referred patients over a 10-year period and defined aspects of interrelationships and associations. Two hundred and ninety-nine cases of malacia disorders (34%) were observed in 885 bronchoscopic procedures. Cough, wheeze, stridor, and radiological changes were the most common symptoms and signs. The lesions were most often found in males (2:1) and on the left side (1.6:1). Concomitant malacia lesions ranged from 24% for laryngotracheobronchomalacia to 47% for tracheobronchomalacia. The lesions were found in association with other disorders such as congenital heart disorders (13.7%), tracheo-esophageal fistula (9.6%), and various syndromes (8%).Even though the understanding of these disorders is in its infancy, pediatricians should maintain a level of awareness for malacia lesions and consider the possibility of multiple lesions being present, even when one symptom predominates or occurs alone. Copyright 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.