Abstract
Earlier studies with regard to tracheobronchial angulations have put forward contradictory views. It has been established that on an average the right tracheobronchial angle is 30° while the left one is 47° with a difference of 17° between the two in all age groups (Brown & Fisk, 1980). There is another view that in children, below the age of 3 years, both tte bronchi come off the trachea at an equal angle unlike the arrangements in the adults (Adriani and Griggs, 1977). Ghosh (1987) found that on an average there is a difference of 6° between the right and left tracheobronchial angles in children and Hassan et al (1991) found this to be between 2° and 6.3°.
This study shows that the difference in the right and left tracheobronchial angulations is less than 7° in the age group upto four years and this changes as a function of age and that the main respiratory conduits follow a particular pattern of displacement and repositioning in the growing child all they attain their final positions at adulthood.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adriani, J.; Griggs, P., (1954): Anaesthesiology,15: 466 (quoted by Atkinson et al, 1977, vide infra).
Atkinson, R. S.; Rushman, G.B.; Lee, J.A., (1977): A Synopsis of Anaesthesia,Bristol, John Wright and Sons Ltd., 648.
Brown, TCK.; Fisk, G.C., (1980): Anaesthesia for Children, Blackwell Scientific Publication Oxford, 3.
Emerson, P. (1981): Thoracic Medicine, Butterworths,London, 5.
Ghosh, P., (1987): Why mucous plugs commonly cause left lung collapse,Indian, J. Paediatrics,54: 583–586.
Hassan, A.M., Ghosh, P, Menon, P.S.N., Kaul, H.L. and Mukhopadhaya, S., (1991): Right lung collapse, a tantalising myth, M.S. (ENT) Thesis, All India Instt. of Medical Sciences, sent toI. J. O. for publication.
Grant, J.C., (1965): Method of Anatomy, 7th edition, The Williams & Wilkinsons Company, USA, 510.
Jackson, C., (1968): Observations on the pathology of foreign bodies in the air and food passages. Symposium on Bronchoesophagology,Otolaryngologic Clinics of North America, Edited by Norris, C.M., 26.
Keith, A., (1948): Human Embryology and Morphology, 6th edition, Edward Arnold & Co., London, 484 & 488.
Lee, J.J.; Sachs, F., (1987): Essential Otolaryngology, 4th edition,Pacdiatric airway and laryngeal problems, 576.
McGregor, A.L., (1969): A synopsis of surgical anatomy, 10th edition The Anatomy of the Child,Thorax, 136.
Myers, J.A., (1927): The normal chest of the adult and the child. The Williams and Wilkinsons Company,Baltimore, 4.
Vane, D.W.; Pritchard, J.; Colville, C.W.; West, K.W.; Eigen, H. and Grossfeld, M., (1988): Bronchoscopy for aspirated foreign bodies in children,Archives of Surgery,123: 885–888.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This is a part of thesis work carried out by A. M. Hassan for the degree of M. S. (ENT).
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hassan, A.M., Ghosh, P., Menon, P.S.N. et al. Changes in tracheobronchial angles as a function of age. Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 45, 1–6 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03051614
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03051614