Laryngotracheal stenosis in children after intubation. Report of five cases.

Acquired laryngotracheal stenosis is a serious long term complication of tracheal intubation with an incidence of 0.7 to 8% in intubated children. We report five cases of subglottic stenosis over a 4.5-year period and review the pathology and pathogenesis of the condition. A diagnosis of subglottic stenosis was suspected when extubation failed due to the onset of dyspnoea or laryngeal stridor. An incidence of 0.9% of all intubated children was observed. We conclude that the main components contributing to stenosis are pathologies with decreased mucosal capillary perfusion pressure and intubation conditions.