Tracheomalacia in children and adults--not so rare as expected.

Tracheomalacia remains a special entity present also in children and adults. Tracheomalacia refers to a weakness of the trachea. Bronchoscopy is the "golden standard" for diagnosis. Differential diagnosis includes foreign body aspiration, difficult controlled asthma and other diseases. This disease may be congenital or it may be acquired. Acquired tracheomalacia can be treated. The main symptoms in tracheomalacia are: dyspnea, sputum production, hemoptysis and cough in adults and expiratory stridor and cough in children. Tracheomalacia could be progressive in some patients. We want to bring to your attention the tools for diagnosis and different methods of treatment. Tracheomalacia is not a rare disease and therefore we need to consider it.