The combined endoscopic management of congenital laryngeal web

Laryngeal web in the anterior commissure is a rare congenital anomaly often leading to severe dyspnea. Endoscopic procedures based on a simple transsection in these cases may worsen the condition because vocal folds have a tendency for fibrosis and granulation tissue formation after surgical interventions. Thus the traditional treatment of choice is the demanding, externally performed laryngotracheal reconstruction generally with a rib cartilage graft and longer period of stenting. This report presents the successful endoscopic management of a congenital laryngeal web in a 2-year-old boy, who previously underwent an uneffective scar laser transsection that led to excessive glotto-subglottic refibrosis. After the CO2-laser transsection the authors applied Mitomycin-C and inserted a combined silicon stent by extra-endolaryngeal technique. After the removal of the stent the patient could be decannulated and his voice improved. The application of these minimally invasive endoscopic techniques was successful, hence it may be an effective alternative treatment option for laryngeal webs. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.