Logo image
Airway and Swallowing Outcomes in Children With Combined Laryngomalacia and Laryngeal Cleft
Journal article   Open access

Airway and Swallowing Outcomes in Children With Combined Laryngomalacia and Laryngeal Cleft

Caleb Escudero, Zachary Tanenbaum, Rahal Riad, Rebecca Weiner and Sohit P Kanotra
Cureus, Vol.16(4), e58914
04/01/2024
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.58914
PMCID: PMC11120009
PMID: 38800278
url
https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.58914View
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

Laryngomalacia (LM) and laryngeal cleft (LC) can independently cause dysphagia but rarely can occur concomitantly. We discuss the presentation, decision-making, and swallow outcomes following surgical correction of combined LM and LC. We present four patients with combined LM and an LC who underwent both primary supraglottoplasty (SGP) and laryngeal cleft repair (LCR). Each patient presented with recurrent choking or coughing with feeds. Stridor was only present in two patients. Patients with SGP saw the resolution of stridor when present, but dysphagia persisted in all four cases. LCR clinically and objectively resolved all symptoms of dysphagia. We found that flexible fiberoptic laryngoscopy is not always reliable at detecting combined pathology. Patients presenting with persistent dysphagia following SGP should be suspected of having interarytenoid pathology. We recommend a staged surgical approach with SGP before LCR.

Details

Metrics

15 Record Views
Logo image