CLINICAL AND RADIOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF TRACHEAL LESIONS

Yousef Alsultan*, Ahmed Rashid and Khalid Khattab

ABSTRACT

Background: Tracheal lesions arise from diverse causes including trauma, tumors, and congenital abnormalities. Accurate diagnosis is essential for appropriate management. Methods and Materials: This retrospective study was conducted at Al-Mouwasat University Hospital, Damascus, between 2022 and 2024. It included 282 patients with clinically or radiologically suspected tracheal lesions, all undergoing CT imaging. Data were collected from hospital records across pulmonology, thoracic surgery, and radiology departments. Results: Males represented 66% of cases, mostly aged 30–50 years (61.9%). The most common lesion was tracheal stenosis (39.6%), with trauma-related tracheomalacia as the leading subtype (59.4%). Gunshot wounds and penetrating neck injuries were major trauma causes. Tracheal tumors included squamous cell carcinoma (20%) and small cell carcinoma (30%). CT imaging proved superior to plain radiographs in lesion detection. Post-COVID-19 tracheal changes were observed in 45 patients, including stenosis and wall thickening. Conclusion: Multimodal clinical and radiological evaluation, particularly using CT, is critical for precise characterization of tracheal lesions. This ensures better treatment planning and outcomes.

Keywords: Tracheal stenosis, Computed tomography, Tracheal tumors, Trauma.