CT of tracheal agenesis

Tracheal agenesis is a rare and usually lethal anomaly. In the past, opaque contrast medium was injected via the esophagus to demonstrate the anatomy.

To demonstrate the utility of helical and multidetector CT in delineating the aberrant anatomy in newborns with tracheal agenesis.

Four newborns with tracheal agenesis were identified from three institutions. Imaging studies and medical records were reviewed. Each child was imaged with chest radiography. One child was imaged on a single-detector helical CT scanner and the other three on multidetector scanners.

Helical and multidetector CT with 2D and 3D reconstructions clearly delineated the aberrant tracheobronchial and esophageal anatomy in each infant. Minimum intensity projection reformatted CT images were particularly helpful. One infant each had type I and type II tracheal agenesis. Two infants had type III tracheal agenesis. All four infants died.

CT is a useful tool for delineating the aberrant anatomy of newborns with tracheal agenesis and thus helps in making rational clinical decisions.