Helical multi-detector CT scan as a tool for diagnosing tracheomalacia in children.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Tracheomalacia (TM) is not an unusual diagnosis in pediatric respiratory clinics. The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy of paired static end-inspiratory/end-expiratory helical multi-detector CT scan (MDCT) in detecting TM.

METHODS

FB was performed in 28 children suspected of TM on the grounds of presence of recurrent episodes of vibrating cough and a need for more specific diagnostic information. Children diagnosed with flexible bronchoscopy (FB) as having TM were further investigated with MDCT. The cross-sectional area ratio of the trachea during end-expiration and end-inspiration, at the level of maximum end-expiration collapse (CSR), determined the basis for the MDCT diagnosis of TM. FB and MDCT were also performed in five children who suffered from mainly dry-but not honking, barking, or vibrating-cough for more than 3 months, and served as controls.

RESULTS

The diagnosis of TM was established bronchoscopically in 26 out of 28 children. CRS was significantly smaller in patients (0.59 ± 0.14) compared with controls (0.85 ± 0.11) (P = 0.001). The optimal CSR cut-off point for TM diagnosis, as it was estimated by the ROC curve, was ≤0.705 (95%CI: ≤0.635-≤0.850) with a sensitivity 84.6% (95%CI: 65.1-95.6), and specificity 100.0% (95%CI: 47.8-100.0).

CONCLUSIONS

MDCT can effectively diagnose TM in the majority of children and can be used as an alternative to FB. In children, the established criterion of CSR ≤0.5 should be replaced by CSR ≤0.7 that seems to be a more appropriate threshold.