{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,28]],"date-time":"2025-08-28T09:40:23Z","timestamp":1756374023493,"version":"3.44.0"},"reference-count":16,"publisher":"BMJ","content-domain":{"domain":["bmj.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["BMJ Case Reports"],"accepted":{"date-parts":[[2015,2,6]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Flat trachea syndrome, commonly known as \u2018tracheobronchomalacia\u2019, is a central airway disease characterised by excessive expiratory collapse of the tracheobronchial posterior membrane due to weakness in the airway walls. Patients present with symptoms such as chronic cough, dyspnoea and recurrent respiratory tract infections, which are often attributed to more common conditions such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The term \u2018Flat Trachea Syndrome\u2019 was first proposed by Niranjan and Marzouk in 2010 following a retrospective study of 28 patients with the condition who underwent surgery for it. The authors advocated the term due to the primary abnormality being collapse of the posterior membranous wall of the central airways as opposed to softening of the tracheal cartilage (tracheobronchomalacia), which they proposed is a misnomer. We present a rare case of a patient with flat trachea syndrome on a history of COPD who initially presented with recurrent respiratory tract infections.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1136\/bcr-2014-207063","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2015,2,26]],"date-time":"2015-02-26T07:17:41Z","timestamp":1424935061000},"page":"bcr2014207063","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/crossmarkpolicy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Flat trachea syndrome: a rare condition with symptoms similar to obstructive airway disease"],"prefix":"10.1136","volume":"2015","author":[{"given":"Mohammed Akil D","family":"Gani","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Warwick Medical School, Coventry, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Vanessa J C","family":"Rogers","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"NHS Foundation Trust, Coventry, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Khalid H","family":"Sachak","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Warwick Medical School, Coventry, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Joseph F K","family":"Marzouk","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire, Coventry, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"239","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2015,2,26]]},"reference":[{"key":"2025082802131230000_2015.feb26_1.bcr2014207063.1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/thx.2010.150938.6"},{"key":"2025082802131230000_2015.feb26_1.bcr2014207063.2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1378\/chest.127.3.984"},{"key":"2025082802131230000_2015.feb26_1.bcr2014207063.3","first-page":"380","article-title":"Acquired tracheobronchomalacia","volume":"63","author":"Nuutinen","year":"1982","journal-title":"Eur J Respir Dis"},{"key":"2025082802131230000_2015.feb26_1.bcr2014207063.4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1148\/radiol.2513081280"},{"key":"2025082802131230000_2015.feb26_1.bcr2014207063.5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"735058","DOI":"10.1155\/2013\/735058","article-title":"Refractory asthma treatment is complicated by tracheobronchomalacia: case report and review of literature","volume":"2013","author":"Boonpiyathad","year":"2013","journal-title":"Case Rep Med"},{"key":"2025082802131230000_2015.feb26_1.bcr2014207063.6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1148\/radiol.2352040309"},{"key":"2025082802131230000_2015.feb26_1.bcr2014207063.7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10067-008-0836-x"},{"key":"2025082802131230000_2015.feb26_1.bcr2014207063.8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Bangalore H , Bisht S , Inusa B . 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