Subglottic stenosis

Stenosis

A stenosis is an abnormal narrowing in a blood vessel or other tubular organ or structure.It is also sometimes called a stricture ....

 is a congenital or acquired narrowing of the subglottic airway. Although it is relatively rare, it is the third most common congenital airway problem (after laryngomalacia

Laryngomalacia

Laryngomalacia is a very common condition of infancy, in which the soft, immature cartilage of the upper larynx collapses inward during inhalation, causing airway obstruction. It can also be seen in older patients, especially those with neuromuscular conditions resulting in weakness of the...

 and vocal cord paralysis). Subglottic stenosis can present as a life-threatening airway emergency. It is imperative that the Otolaryngologist be an expert at dealing with the diagnosis and management of this disorder. Subglottic stenosis can affect both children and adults.

Subglottic stenosis can be of two forms, namely Congenital subglottic stenosis and Acquired Subglottic stenosis.

As the name suggests, Congenital subglottic stenosis is a birth defect. That is a child is born with it. Acquired Subglottic Stenosis generally follows as an after-effect of airway intubation.

Subglottic stenosis are graded from one to four based on the severity of the block.

Grade 1 - <50% obstruction, Grade 2 - 51-70% obstruction, Grade 3 - 71-99% obstruction, Grade 4 - no detectable lumen.