Congenital funnel-shaped tracheal stenosis: an asymptomatic lethal anomaly of early infancy.

Two infants with an unusual variant of congenital tracheal stenosis (funnel-shaped distal trachea) are described. Six other reports have appeared in the literature. This anomaly is asymptomatic from 1 to 3 months after birth, despite nearly complete tracheal obstruction. Staged surgical repair and/or definitive correction have been hampered by the size of the tracheal lumen, length of the deformity, and nondistensibility of the complete cartilaginous rings in the distal trachea.