[Treatment of adult tracheal stenosis]

Tracheal stenosis is a rare condition with symptoms mimicking asthma or COPD. The most frequent benign tracheal stenosis is caused by lesions related either to intubation or tracheostomy. Primary tracheal tumors or secondary malignancies such as locally advanced esophageal cancer are rare causes. As a rare disease the diagnosis and treatment are often delayed. Endoscopic therapy is the primary treatment for tracheal stenosis. Tracheal resection is indicated in resectable malignant tumors and in benign stenosis which do not respond to endoscopic treatment or require repeated therapy. In these situations, surgery provides a safe and a long-term solution. Currently, surgery is rarely an option in long-segment tracheal lesions. Advances in stem cell technology, tracheal transplantation and tissue engineering may, however, provide a solution for these problems in the future.