Tracheal Disorders

Laryngotracheal stenosis (LTS) can occur secondary to narrowing or collapse of the upper airway. This chapter highlights the etiologies, workup, and management for LTS, specifically looking at subglottic, tracheal, and laryngeal stenosis. There are several etiologies for stenosis including trauma, intubation, tracheotomy tube placement, and autoimmune disease. Careful attention to the underlying causes of LTS guides the appropriate workup and treatment. Advances in in-office endoscopy and procedures have improved the ability to visualize thestenosis, biopsy tissue, and treat the stenosis in the awake patient. For tracheal and subglottic narrowing, open resection and anastomosis is sometimes necessary, and this chapter addresses important technical and post-operative considerations. Finally, this chapter addresses the challenges associated with laryngeal stenosis, with particular attention to the workup and surgical treatments for posterior glottic stenosis (PGS). This review contains 12 figures, 3 videos, 3 tables, and 36 references.  Key Words: laryngeal stenosis, subglottic stenosis, tracheal stenosis, dyspnea, laryngotracheal stenosis, posterior glottic stenosis