Airway Stenosis

Glottic stenosis is narrowing of the airway at the level of the vocal folds.  It can cause hoarseness and difficulty breathing.  Glottic stenosis can be congenital or caused by scarring in the larynx from prolonged intubation, prior surgeries, infection, trauma or inhalational burn injury.  Treatment of glottis stenosis depends on the cause, thickness of scar and area of scarring.

Subglottic Stenosis is narrowing of the airway below the level of the vocal folds.   It usually causes shortness of breath with noisy breathing.  Causes of subglottic stenosis include intubation, external neck trauma, tracheostomy, chronic infection, and chronic inflammatory diseases such as Wegener’s Granulomatosis or Sarcoidosis.  Some patients with subglottic stenosis have none of the above known causes and are categorized as idiopathic subglottic stenosis (which means subglottic stenosis of unknown cause).  Treatment of subglottic stenosis includes dilation procedures, reconstruction procedures and resection procedures depending on the severity, type and location of the stenosis.

Supraglottic stenosis is narrowing of the airway above the level of the vocal folds.  It can cause difficulty breathing and swallowing, and can occur as a result of radiation treatment to the head and neck.  Supraglottic stenosis can sometimes be treated with surgery to help widen the area which is narrowed.

Tracheal stenosis is narrowing of the airway in the trachea (wind pipe).

Tracheal stenosis usually causes shortness of breath with noisy breathing.

Causes of tracheal stenosis include intubation, prior tracheal surgery, tracheostomy, external tracheal trauma, chronic infection, and chronic inflammatory diseases.  Tracheal stenosis may also be idiopathic, which means the cause is unknown.

Treatment of tracheal stenosis includes dilation procedures and resection procedures depending on the severity, type and location of the narrowing.