Squamous cell carcinoma of the trachea in an infant: a case report

Primary malignant tumours of the trachea are extremely rare in infants. This report describes an Ii-month-old boy suffering from severe dyspnea with a 5-month history of strider and 'bronchitis'. A hard mass could be palpated below the right lobe of the thyroid gland. Roentgenograms and endoscopy showed an exophytic tumour filling more than 80% of the tracheal lumen. A tracheal resection and a subtotal thyroidectomy with primary anastomosis was performed. An invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the trachea was diagnosed. This is the first reported case in an infant in the English literature. A local recurrence was found on MRI 19 weeks later. The infant died at 16 months of age. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.