Congenital Laryngeal Cyst as a Rare Cause of Stridor in Infants: Two Case Reports.

Congenital laryngeal cysts are a rare cause of stridor in infants. These cysts may have serious clinical implications if not promptly recognized. A small laryngeal cyst may remain asymptomatic. However, if large, it can block the laryngeal inlet leading to acute airway obstruction, which is potentially life-threatening. In pediatric patients presenting with respiratory distress, prompt diagnosis and surgical management are crucial to avoid infant morbidity and mortality. We describe two cases of laryngeal vallecular cysts in infants and their management in our clinical practice.

Neonatal stridor and laryngeal cyst: Which comes first?

Neonatal stridor is a rare condition usually caused by laryngomalacia. Congenital laryngeal cyst represents an uncommon cause of stridor in the neonatal population and may be misinterpreted as laryngomalacia, leading to serious morbidity and mortality if diagnosis and treatment are delayed. Herein we report the case of a full-term infant with stridor, feeding problems and failure to thrive. Initially, direct laryngoscopy diagnosed only laryngomalacia. As stridor worsened, however, and respiratory distress appeared, repeat laryngoscopy showed vallecular laryngeal cyst, visible macroscopically. The patient was successfully treated with endoscopic marsupialization. There was no evidence of recurrence at follow up after 3 months. This case highlights the importance of laryngoscopic assessment for suspected laryngeal abnormalities in infants with stridor. If symptoms worsen, endoscopy should be repeated, because congenital laryngeal cysts may not be immediately visible macroscopically.

Quiste de vallécula como causa de estridor congénito: reporte de un caso y revisión de la literatura / Vallecula cyst as a cause of congenital stridor: case report and literature review

El quiste de vallécula congénito es una malformación de vía aérea poco frecuente que se manifiesta principalmente con estridor laríngeo y que puede plantear problemas diagnósticos y terapéuticos complejos, a menudo en situaciones de riesgo vital. Se presenta el caso de un recién nacido de pretérmino (RNPT) de 36 semanas pequeño edad gesta-cional (PEG), portador de un estridor laríngeo congénito y mal incremento pondoestatural que en relación a una infección respiratoria baja, presentó empeoramiento del estridor laríngeo a los 48 días de edad cronológica. Por insuficiencia respiratoria aguda requirió de intubación orotraqueal que no resultó dificultosa. La extubación fue fallida por presentar estridor inspiratorio franco. La nasofibroscopía demostró una lesión de aspecto quístico en base de lengua que desplazaba la epiglotis hacia posterior obstruyendo parcialmente el lumen de la vía aérea. Por laringoscopía directa se realizó marsupialización. Se realiza la revisión bibliográfica y se analiza el caso y su tratamiento.

Congenital vallecular cyst is a rare airway malformation mainly manifested by laryngeal stridor and could generate complex diagnostic and therapeutic problems, often in life-threatening situations. We present the case of a pre-term newborn of 36 weeks small for gestational age, who at 48 days of chronological age showed worsening of a congenital laryngeal stridor in the context of a lower respiratory tract infection associated to low weight gain from birth. For reasons of acute respiratory failure, orotracheal intubation was executed which was not difficult. Extubation was failed because the child presents significant inspiratory stridor. Nasofibroscopy showed a cystic lesion of the tongue base that pushed backward the epiglottis obstructing partially the airway lumen. Marsupialization was performed by direct laryngoscopy. A Bibliographic review was done and the case and its treatment are discuss.