Complete Tracheal Rings

Also known as: deformed tracheal rings, congenital malformation of the trachea.

What are complete tracheal rings?

The trachea is the windpipe, and trachea rings are rings of cartilage that enhance the structure of the trachea and prevent it from collapsing. Normally, tracheal rings are C-shaped. But complete tracheal rings have an O-shape that can lead to complications.

What causes complete tracheal rings?

The exact cause of complete tracheal rings is unknown. It is frequently present along with other defects such as Down syndrome, Pfeiffer syndrome and a number of other congenital heart, lung or blood vessel problems.

What are the symptoms of complete tracheal rings?

Breathing problems are commonly associated with complete tracheal rings. These can take the form of noisy breathing, wheezing, a sunken chest, pauses in breathing (apnea), chest congestion and recurrent infections.

What are complete tracheal ring care options?

If the symptoms are mild, close monitoring of the child and symptoms may be sufficient. More severe problems with complete tracheal rings may require surgery to repair the problem.


Reviewed by: Brian Ho, MD

This page was last updated on: October 03, 2019 02:53 PM