Learn About Acquired Tracheomalacia
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:
- When large blood vessels put pressure on the airway
- As a complication after surgery to repair birth defects in the windpipe and esophagus (the tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach)
- After having a breathing tube or trachea tube (tracheostomy) for a long time
Symptoms of tracheomalacia include:
- Breathing problems that get worse with coughing, crying, or upper respiratory infections, such as a cold
- Breathing noises that may change when body position changes, and improve during sleep
- High-pitched breathing
- Rattling, noisy breaths
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.
Beth Israel Lahey Health
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center - Surgery
Adnan Majid is a Pulmonary Medicine doctor in Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. Majid has been practicing medicine for over 26 years and is rated as an Elite doctor by MediFind in the treatment of Acquired Tracheomalacia. He is also highly rated in 23 other conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Tracheobronchomalacia, Pleural Effusion, Acquired Tracheomalacia, and Empyema. He is licensed to treat patients in Massachusetts. Dr. Majid is currently accepting new patients.
General Surgery
Beth Israel Lahey Health
Anna Jaques Cancer Center
Sidharta Gangadharan is a Thoracic Surgeon and a General Surgeon in Newburyport, Massachusetts. Dr. Gangadharan has been practicing medicine for over 26 years and is rated as an Elite doctor 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 Acquired Tracheomalacia, Tracheobronchomalacia, Lung Nodules, and Lung Cancer. He is licensed to treat patients in Massachusetts. Dr. Gangadharan is currently accepting new patients.
General Surgery
Northwell Health
LHH - Dept Of Cardio. & Thoracic Surgery
Richard Lazzaro is a Thoracic Surgeon and a General Surgeon in New York, New York. Dr. Lazzaro has been practicing medicine for over 34 years and is rated as a Distinguished doctor by MediFind in the treatment of Acquired Tracheomalacia. He is also highly rated in 23 other conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Tracheobronchomalacia, Acquired Tracheomalacia, Subcutaneous Emphysema, and Pneumomediastinum. He is licensed to treat patients in New York.
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.
Finder JD. Bronchomalacia and tracheomalacia. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, Shah SS, Tasker RC, Wilson KM, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 21st ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 416.
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.
Little BP. Tracheal diseases. In: Walker CM, Chung JH, eds. Muller's Imaging of the Chest. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2019:chap 56.