Q32.2: Congenital bronchomalacia

The air is breathed in through the mouth or nose. From there the air goes into the trachea via the larynx. At the end of the windpipe are two bronchial tubes (or bronchi) branching away from it. The bronchial tubes run into the lungs. What is more, the bronchial tubes divide into even smaller branches. The larynx, the trachea, the bronchia and the lungs are part of the lower airways. The bronchia have cartilage tissue that makes the bronchia firm.

While developing in the womb, many different types of tissue develop in the body. The organs and body parts develop out of the various types of tissue. If tissue fails to develop properly, defects can occur.

The cartilage tissue in your bronchia has not developed properly. The cartilage tissue may be changed or missing, for example. The bronchia are then not as firm and stable as usual.

Certain sections of the bronchia usually get wider when breathing in and narrower when breathing out. If the bronchia are softer than usual, they can get narrow. Parts of the bronchia may even close up completely when coughing, pressing or exhaling strenuously.

If the bronchia are not as firm and stable, there can be various indications. A whistling sound may then be heard when breathing. Breathlessness or coughing may occur, for example. If breathlessness occurs, the skin can turn blue. If the bronchia are softer than usual, fluid or mucous may be more poorly transported away from the airways. This can result in more frequent and more severe infections of the respiratory tract. In the process, the bronchia may be wider than usual. The lung tissue can also change over time.