Successful repair of a subtotal rupture of distal tracheobronchial tree with complete abridgment of the right bronchus in a 4-year-old child.

Abstract

Accurate diagnosis of tracheobronchial injuries in children is difficult due to the paucity of clinical presentation and the variety of clinical symptoms. They are potentially life threatening in blunt chest trauma. We report here on a clinical case of a boy who was injured during outdoor activity. We describe intraoperative findings of the massive tracheobronchial lesion and its successful repair using a pericardial patch technique and postoperative recovery. Such a serious tracheobronchial injury with a positive outcome has not been reported so far. Clinical and technical steps are described and discussed.