Infant with sudden, large, post-extubation subglottic cyst

Background: Subglottic cyst in infancy is almost always associated with episodes of early life intubation. Most cases typically presented late, usually days to months after endotracheal extubation. We report a case of a subglottic cyst with different presentation than the norm. Case presentation:...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Asha'ari, Zamzil Amin, Suhaimi, Yusof, Fadzil, Ahmad
Format: Conference or Workshop Item
Language:English
Published: UKM 2012
Subjects:
Online Access:http://irep.iium.edu.my/24356/
http://irep.iium.edu.my/24356/
http://irep.iium.edu.my/24356/1/infant_with_sudden%2C_large.pdf
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Summary:Background: Subglottic cyst in infancy is almost always associated with episodes of early life intubation. Most cases typically presented late, usually days to months after endotracheal extubation. We report a case of a subglottic cyst with different presentation than the norm. Case presentation: A prematurely born, four-month-old baby girl was on a ventilator via the endotracheal tube for four days after diagnosed with severe pneumoniae. She presented with stridor, two hours after airway extubation. Her conditions deteriorated, needing reintubation. However, laryngoscopy showed a large subglottic cyst totally obstructing the airway. As an attempt to intubate failed, a tracheostomy was performed and the cyst was marsupialized under general anesthesia. Conclusion: This case highlights that subglottic cyst can present acutely, and rapidly enlarging soon after the airway extubation. As the management of a large subglottic cyst can be challenging, a close observation for early diagnosis and intervention are recommended post extubation in the high-risk cases, such as in the premature infant.