OBJECTIVETo investigate etiology and airway management in children with tracheobronchomalacia.

METHODBronchoscopic examinations were performed in 671 children. The cases with tracheomalacia and bronchomalacia were analyzed in etiopathogenesis and summarized their therapy simultaneously.

RESULTBronchoscopic examination indicated tracheomalacia and bronchomalacia in 148 cases, tracheomalacia in 77 cases and bronchomalacia in 71 cases. Among the cases with tracheomalacia, compression by vascular rings was found in 46 cases, incorporated congenital esophageal atresia with tracheoesophageal fistula was found in 5 cases, tracheomalacia was associated with tracheostoma and mechanical ventilation in 6 cases, with congenital airway malformation in 11 cases and isolated tracheomalacia was found in 4 cases. Among the cases with bronchomalacia, incorporated congenital cardiovascular malformation was found in 64 cases, congenital airway malformation in 6 cases and isolated bronchomalacia in 1 case. Ten children with anomalous innominate artery underwent aortopexy, twelve children with dextro-aorta arch with concomitant aberrant left subclavian artery and double aorta underwent arches vascular ring lysis, six children with pulmonary sling underwent plasty. Severe malacia segments were resected directly in four children during operation. Mechanical ventilation was performed in 38 children. Tracheostoma was performed in 4 children to treat tracheomalacia and bronchomalacia, it could relieve symptom to a certain extent. In 2 children metal stents were inserted into the bronchus for the treatment of bronchomalacia, one was successful and the other needed re-insertion of stent again, these two patients underwent balloon-dilatation in distal part of stent afterwards.

CONCLUSIONThe congenital cardiovascular malformation was the main reason to develop tracheobronchomalacia in children. The symptom of majority of the cases with cardiovascular malformation would be improved within 6 months after surgical intervention. In severe cases, treatments included mechanical ventilation and tracheostoma. Stenting could be applied in refractory cases, but it had certain limitations.