Prevalence and characteristics of tracheal cobblestoning in children

Summary Background Tracheal follicular pattern or so‐called tracheal cobblestoning is a poorly described entity in the literature and is depicted as a nodular or lumpy appearance of the tracheal wall mucosa suggesting tracheal irritation from factors like gastro‐esophageal reflux (GERD) or pulmonary infection. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence and characteristics of tracheal cobblestones in a large pediatric population. Methods A large database of rigid tracheoscopies recorded in children (0–6 years of age) undergoing general anesthesia with planned tracheal intubation for elective surgical procedures was retrospectively analyzed. Tracheoscopy records were reviewed by five pediatric airway experts (authors 3–7). Data were compared using the Mann–Whitney test, chi‐square or Fisher exact test as appropriate (P