Bacterial tracheitis in adults

Bacterial tracheitis is characterized by acute upper airway obstruction in which indirect laryngoscopy is normal. Roentgenograms reveal an irregular tracheal air column. Endoscopic evaluation demonstrates a normal supraglottic and glottic larynx with purulent debris, mucosal ulcerations, and edema of the subglottic larynx and trachea. To our knowledge, this entity has not been previously described in an adult. We report herein three cases of bacterial tracheitis in adults.