Choudhury Saiara, Chohan Asad, Taweesedt Pahnwat T, Dadhwal Rahul, Vakil Abhay
Internal Medicine, Corpus Christi Medical Center, Corpus Christi, USA.
Department of Pulmonology, Corpus Christi Medical Center Bay Area, Corpus Christi, USA.
Cureus. 2022 Apr 4;14(4):e23810. doi: 10.7759/cureus.23810. eCollection 2022 Apr.
Tracheomegaly is a medical condition where the tracheal diameter is greater than the upper limits of normal. Tracheomegaly can be classified as primary or secondary. Primary tracheomegaly is usually congenital. Secondary tracheomegaly can be due to multiple causes, including connective tissue disease, infections, autoimmune diseases like sarcoidosis, and prolonged mechanical ventilation. Here, we describe the first reported case of tracheomegaly secondary to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia and COVID-induced interstitial lung disease (ILD). While many cases of tracheomegaly are asymptomatic, patients can have symptoms like cough, dyspnea, hemoptysis, or even respiratory failure. Tracheomegaly is associated with a higher risk of recurrent lower respiratory tract infections, chronic cough, bronchiectasis, and tracheobronchomalacia. Early recognition of COVID-19-induced tracheomegaly can help initial early management and reduce the incidence of infections.