title: Recurrent severe lower respiratory tract infections in a child with abnormal tracheal morphology.
abstract: Localized recurrent respiratory infections, leading to severe hypoxia in young children without immunological abnormalities or other risk factors, should raise the suspicion of airway structural abnormalities. In a 24-month-old boy, with recurrent severe post-viral wheezing and a history of RSV-induced bronchiolitis and gastro-esophageal reflux, fiberoptic bronchoscopy demonstrated an abnormal morphology of the distal portion of the trachea, ending in four openings. Computed tomography (CT) scans demonstrated the presence of a right tracheal bronchus and an anomalous upper lobar bronchus, originating at the level of the major carina.
authors.affiliation: Pulmonary Disease Unit, Giannina Gaslini Research Institute, University of Genova, Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Serena
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Panigada
authors.forename: Oliviero
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sacco
authors.forename: Donata
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Girosi
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tomà
authors.forename: Giovanni A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Rossi
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011859:Radiography; D012008:Recurrence; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000209:etiology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014132:Trachea / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*