Tracheal cross-sectional area in children: CT determination.

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Abstract
A computer method that calculates tracheal cross-sectional area by compensating for partial volume averaging was developed and validated in a study with phantoms. The program was then used to determine the tracheal cross-sectional area of 30 normal children who ranged in age from 4 mo.-18 yr. CT[computed tomographic]-derived cross sections were correlated with age, height, weight and body-surface area, and they were compared with findings of published clinical and postmortem studies. CT cross-sectional areas ranged from 20-275 mm2, varied by as much as 22% at the 3 different tracheal levels studied and appeared to correlate most closely with body height. CT-derived tracheal cross-sectional areas are quite similar to those in published reports of postmortem and clinical studies. Measurement of tracheal cross section by CT may prove useful in quantitating tracheal compromise by intrinsic or extrinsic causes.

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