Acquired tracheomalacia is a weakness and floppiness of the walls of the windpipe (trachea, or airway). It develops after birth.
Congenital tracheomalacia is a related topic.
Secondary tracheomalacia
Acquired tracheomalacia is very uncommon at any age. It occurs when normal cartilage in the wall of the windpipe begins to break down.
This form of tracheomalacia may result:
Symptoms of tracheomalacia include:
The condition may improve without treatment. However, people with tracheomalacia must be monitored closely when they have respiratory infections.
Adults with breathing problems may need continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). Rarely, surgery is needed. A hollow tube called a stent may be placed to hold the airway open.
Adnan Majid is a Pulmonary Medicine expert in Boston, Massachusetts. Majid has been practicing medicine for over 27 years and is rated as an Elite expert by MediFind in the treatment of Acquired Tracheomalacia. He is also highly rated in 22 other conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Tracheobronchomalacia, Pleural Effusion, Acquired Tracheomalacia, Advanced Bronchoscopy, and Endoscopy. Majid is currently accepting new patients.
Sidharta Gangadharan is a Thoracic Surgeon and a General Surgeon in Newburyport, Massachusetts. Gangadharan has been practicing medicine for over 27 years and is rated as an Elite expert by MediFind in the treatment of Acquired Tracheomalacia. He is also highly rated in 17 other conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Tracheobronchomalacia, Acquired Tracheomalacia, Lung Nodules, Endoscopy, and Gastrectomy. Gangadharan is currently accepting new patients.
Richard Lazzaro is a Thoracic Surgeon in New York, New York. Lazzaro has been practicing medicine for over 35 years and is rated as a Distinguished expert by MediFind in the treatment of Acquired Tracheomalacia. He is also highly rated in 22 other conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Tracheobronchomalacia, Subcutaneous Emphysema, Acquired Tracheomalacia, Endoscopy, and Advanced Bronchoscopy.
Aspiration pneumonia (a lung infection) can occur from breathing in food.
Adults who develop tracheomalacia after being on a breathing machine often have serious lung problems.
Call your health care provider if you or your child breathes in an abnormal way. Tracheomalacia can become an urgent or emergency condition.
Published Date: May 24, 2021
Published By: Neil K. Kaneshiro, MD, MHA, Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
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Green GE, Ohye RG. Diagnosis and management of tracheal anomalies and tracheal stenosis. In: Flint PW, Francis HW, Haughey BH, et al, eds. Cummings Otolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 210.
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