Paediatric tracheomalacia - a review of clinical features and comparison of diagnostic imaging techniques

Tracheomalacia is the excessive collapse of the tracheal wall during respiration [1]. In children, it can be classified as primary or secondary in origin. Primary tracheomalacia is due to impaired maturation or deficiency in cartilaginous rings and/or decreased tone of the trachealis muscle. In a healthy child, the tracheal cartilage extends for approximately 320 degrees. In patients with primary tracheomalacia, cartilage may be small or fragmented leading to anterior collapse and the membranous portion of the trachea can account for up to 50% of the circumference.

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