Tracheal cyst - a rare cause of stridor in adult

A case of tracheal cyst is described in a 43-year-old man who was admitted with nonspecific symptoms of an obstruction in the upper respiratory tract. A CT scan of the thorax showed a solid tumor on the inner tracheal wall. Bronchoscopy revealed a tumor with a borad base and smooth surface that almost completely obstructed the trachea. Intraoperatively, the tumor was found to be a cyst and was successfully removed endoscopically.Tracheal cysts are quite rare and most of the reported cases have been confined to pediatric patients as a congenital disease. More frequently, congenital intraluminal cysts of the upper respiratory tract are found as epiglottic retention cysts and laryngoceles.