title: Airway obstruction secondary to tracheobronchial involvement of asymptomatic undiagnosed Crohn's disease in a pediatric patient.
abstract: Tracheal involvement in Crohn's disease is extremely rare and can present with airway obstruction in any age group, including the pediatric patient. We describe the case of a 9-year-old female who presented with a 2-week history of intermittent stridor, resolving temporarily with the administration of systemic steroids. The patient denied any abdominal complaints and was otherwise healthy. Bronchoscopy revealed progressive tracheal inflammation necessitating an urgent tracheotomy. Subsequent laboratory investigation confirmed the diagnosis of Crohn's disease. This is the first reported case of previously undiagnosed Crohn's disease presenting with airway manifestations.
authors.affiliation: University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, 963 Court Ave, Suite B227, Memphis, TN 38163, USA. asif74@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Khwaja Asif
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Jerome W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: Royce E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Joyner
authors.forename: Rose Mary S
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Stocks
mesh_terms: D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D001991:Bronchitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D002648:Child; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D014136:Tracheitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis