Tracheal bronchus diagnosed in children undergoing flexible bronchoscopy

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Pulmonology
• Congenital Airway Malformations
• Diagnostic Bronchoscopy

Background:

• Tracheal bronchus (TB) is a congenital anomaly of the airway.
• Previous studies have suggested a low prevalence of TB.
• Understanding the clinical features and associations of TB is crucial for pediatric respiratory care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the clinical features of pediatric patients diagnosed with tracheal bronchus (TB) using flexible bronchoscopy (FB).
• To determine the prevalence, associated pathologies, and clinical progress of TB in a tertiary care setting.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of flexible bronchoscopy (FB) procedures performed since 1990.
• Analysis of patient demographics, clinical presentation, TB type, associated anomalies, and outcomes.
• Inclusion criteria: pediatric patients diagnosed with TB via FB.

Main Results:

• Tracheal bronchus (TB) was identified in 26 (1.9%) of 1337 patients undergoing flexible bronchoscopy (FB).
• The majority of patients (92.3%) had associated congenital pathologies, including heart disease (69%) and chromosomal abnormalities (35%).
• Common findings alongside TB included tracheomalacia and bronchomalacia; all TB cases were managed conservatively.

Conclusions:

• The prevalence of tracheal bronchus (TB) appears higher than previously reported.
• TB is frequently associated with other congenital airway and somatic malformations, particularly cardiac defects.
• Flexible bronchoscopy (FB) is essential for diagnosing TB and associated airway abnormalities in children.