Congenital long segment tracheal stenosis presenting with tachypnea.

Tachypnea and tachycardia are not rare in infants born at full term and carry a wide spectrum of differential diagnoses, including transient tachypnea of newborns. Congenital tracheal stenosis is a rare disorder that is characterized by the presence of focal or diffuse complete cartilaginous rings. Long segment tracheal stenosis exists if more than 50% of the length of the trachea is affected. The symptomatology of congenital tracheal stenosis is variable, depending on the age of the child, the degree of stenosis and the potential for associated anomalies. Structural anomalies of the upper airways and trachea usually present with stridor, apnea, cyanosis, croup, barking cough, wheezing and recurrent pneumonia, or they may present with respiratory arrest. It is unusual for severe long segment tracheal stenosis to present with only tachypnea without stridor. The case of an infant born at full term following a normal, spontaneous vaginal delivery, who presented with tachypnea, tachycardia and fatigue with feedings in the second week of his life, is presented. He was diagnosed with congenital long segment tracheal stenosis following a bronchoscopy and computerized tomography (CT) scans.