Rapid postnatal suspicion of tracheal agenesis facilitated by point-of-care airway ultrasound: a case report.
- 1Department of Anesthesiology, Wakayama Medical University School of Medicine, 811-1 Kimiidera, Wakayama City, 641-8509, Wakayama Pref., Japan.
- 2Department of Anesthesiology, Wakayama Medical University School of Medicine, 811-1 Kimiidera, Wakayama City, 641-8509, Wakayama Pref., Japan. [email protected].
Abstract
Background
Tracheal agenesis is a rare congenital airway malformation that may cause unexpected cannot ventilate, cannot intubate (CVCI) events at birth. Early recognition is critical, but the role of point-of-care airway ultrasound remains unclear.Case presentation
A male neonate (35 + 1 weeks) was delivered by emergency cesarean section due to fetal distress, with prenatal findings suggesting duodenal atresia. Immediately after birth, he developed severe cyanosis and bradycardia. Bag-mask ventilation was ineffective, and intubation attempts failed despite glottic visualization. Point-of-care airway ultrasound demonstrated tracheal discontinuity, raising suspicion of tracheal agenesis. Esophageal intubation was performed, resulting in effective ventilation and stabilization. Tracheal agenesis (Floyd type II) was subsequently confirmed by computed tomography. The patient survives at 23 months with long-term ventilation via cervical esophagostomy.Conclusion
Point-of-care airway ultrasound may facilitate rapid suspicion of tracheal agenesis and guide life-saving airway management in neonatal CVCI.
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BibTeX
@article{shindo2026rapid,
title = {{Rapid postnatal suspicion of tracheal agenesis facilitated by point-of-care airway ultrasound: a case report.}},
author = {Akihisa Shindo and Hirotsugu Kanda and Tomoyuki Maruyama and Sarah Kyuragi Luthe and Tomoyuki Kawamata},
journal = {JA clinical reports},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1186/s40981-026-00870-8},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42955139},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Rapid postnatal suspicion of tracheal agenesis facilitated by point-of-care airway ultrasound: a case report.
AU - Akihisa Shindo
AU - Hirotsugu Kanda
AU - Tomoyuki Maruyama
AU - Sarah Kyuragi Luthe
AU - Tomoyuki Kawamata
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/31
JO - JA clinical reports
DO - 10.1186/s40981-026-00870-8
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42955139
AB - Background Tracheal agenesis is a rare congenital airway malformation that may cause unexpected cannot ventilate, cannot intubate (CVCI) events at birth. Early recognition is critical, but the role of point-of-care airway ultrasound remains unclear.Case presentation A male neonate (35 + 1 weeks) was delivered by emergency cesarean section due to fetal distress, with prenatal findings suggesting duodenal atresia. Immediately after birth, he developed severe cyanosis and bradycardia. Bag-mask ventilation was ineffective, and intubation attempts failed despite glottic visualization. Point-of-care airway ultrasound demonstrated tracheal discontinuity, raising suspicion of tracheal agenesis. Esophageal intubation was performed, resulting in effective ventilation and stabilization. Tracheal agenesis (Floyd type II) was subsequently confirmed by computed tomography. The patient survives at 23 months with long-term ventilation via cervical esophagostomy.Conclusion Point-of-care airway ultrasound may facilitate rapid suspicion of tracheal agenesis and guide life-saving airway management in neonatal CVCI.
SN - 2363-9024
ER -