Intranasal mucocele of the nasolacrimal duct-A cause of neonatal nasal obstruction

After a spontaneous delivery, a healthy female newborn showed a cyanotic spell. The medical inspection shows a healthy newborn, only the nose was difficult to probe with the smallest tube. This leads to the diagnosis nasal obstruction. The nasal-endoscopy shows cystic malformations which restrict the inferior nasal meatus totally on both sides and the common nasal meatus on the right side [2]. With ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging these malformations were identified as a mucocele caused by a blocked nasolacrimal duct. By a following nasal-endoscopy the blocked duct was resected. After that the baby could breathe without any symptoms of airway obstruction. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.