Subglottic stenosis as a complication of Wegener's granulomatosis.

Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) is a relatively uncommon collagen vascular disease that can lead to both upper and lower airway disease. Subglottic stenosis is one manifestation of the airway disease and can occur even during the quiescent phase of the disease, independent of an active inflammatory response. A high index of suspicion is necessary for this complication in patients with known WG who complain of dyspnoea, and WG should be high on the differential diagnosis in those found to have "idiopathic" subglottic stenosis. We report the case of a patient who presented with this problem, and we review the prevalence, diagnosis, symptoms, and treatment.