Smoking-Associated Endotracheal Hair Growth: A Case Report on Tracheal Complications

A 52-year-old male patient experienced endotracheal hair growth and tracheal irritation 26 years after a tracheostoma closure supported by an autologous graft, with symptoms exacerbated by smoking. Initial treatments included anti-inflammatory, antimycotic, and antibacterial therapies, followed by endoscopic restructuring, which provided temporary relief. Recurrences of hair growth were ultimately resolved through argon plasma laser-coagulation and smoking cessation. The study suggests that smoking may trigger hair growth by upregulating molecular pathways in the respiratory epithelium, such as sonic hedgehog protein, WNT-1/ß-catenin, and epidermal growth factor receptor.