| A rare otorhinolaryngologic disease characterized by recurrent and severe obstruction of the central airway in the region bounded superiorly by a plane below the glottis and inferiorly by the first two tracheal rings. Symptoms may involve respiratory distress, dysphonia, exertional dyspnea, stridor, chronic cough and wheezing. Diagnosis is challenging due to the lack of apparent etiology and nonspecific respiratory symptoms that can be confounded with other common respiratory diseases and may also occur in late course of the disease. Thorough clinical and laboratory evaluation aims to exclude other causes of subglottic stenosis is therefore essential. Affected patients are almost exclusively Caucasian women between 30-60 years old. |
