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Laryngomalacia
Aka: Laryngomalacia
- Epidemiology
- Most common cause of chronic Stridor in infants
- Onset within first month of life and continues until 18-24 months of age
- Pathophysiology
- Weak Larynx that collapses with inspiration, leading to partial airway obstruction
- Signs
- Inspiratory Stridor
- Provocative factors (Increases Stridor)
- Crying or other Agitation
- Exertion
- Feeding
- Upper Respiratory Infection
- Palliative factors (Decreases Stridor)
- Prone position
- Neck extension
- Severe obstructive signs (rare)
- Failure to Thrive
- Apnea
- Cyanosis
- Pulmonary Hypertension
- Diagnosis
- Typically diagnosed on clinical features alone
- Bronchoscopy
- Indicated in severe cases
- Course
- Onset of symptoms in first month of life
- Self limited (resolves spontaneously by 18-24 months)
- Rarely progresses to severe obstruction
- Management
- Reassurance
- Control Pediatric Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
- Surgery (Epiglottoplasty or Supraglottoplasty) Indications in Severe Obstruction (rarely indicated)
- Significant Respiratory Distress
- Apnea
- Failure to Thrive
- References
- Dahan, Campbell and Melville (2020) Crit Dec Emerg Med 34(11): 3-10
- Nussbaum (1990) Chest 98:942-4 [PubMed]