Congenital bronchial stenosis: a case report of an unusual diagnosis and its management

ABSTRACT

Congenital bronchial stenosis is a rare bronchopulmonary anomaly characterized by significantly narrowing or blindly ending of a segmental or lobar bronchus, typically limited to a few rings, caused by developmental anomalies in the cartilaginous exoskeleton.
We describe a case of a six-month-old male infant with intermittent wheezing present since birth, with no signs of respiratory distress, which seemed to not respond to bronchodilators and to appear more evident with crying and during common colds.
He didn’t present respiratory distress, but an expiratory wheezing was heard. A tidal flow-volume loop was recorded and appeared slightly deflected during the expiratory phase, with a normal tidal volume. A bronchoscopy detected a stenosis of the left main bronchus, confirmed by the chest CT. The patient underwent surgical treatment, consisting of resection of the stenotic tract and tracheobronchial anastomosis with a good result.
Congenital bronchial stenosis should be considered in newborns and infants with persistent wheezing that doesn’t respond to bronchodilators; a tidal flow-volume loop could suggest the diagnosis, which should be confirmed with chest CT and bronchoscopy.

IMPACT STATEMENT
A case report of congenital bronchial stenosis, with the aim to review its diagnosis and management.

Received: Sep 18, 2023
Accepted: Dec 06, 2023