Histologically Confirmed Adult Tracheomalacia at Autopsy After Single-Lung Transplantation

A man in his 50s developed persistent ventilator dependence, recurrent pneumonia, and lung abscess after right single-lung transplantation, and later died following complications from native lung pneumonectomy. Autopsy confirmed the diagnosis of tracheomalacia, allowing detailed histological examination that revealed extensive cartilage degeneration, disruption, and fibrosis of the trachea. Because histopathological studies of adult tracheomalacia are extremely rare, this case provides valuable insight into its pathology.