The "Closed-Airway Sneeze": An Unusual Cause of Laryngeal Fracture

Daniel Faden, Alphi Elackattu, Michael Platt
2011 The Laryngoscope  
Laryngeal fracture is a potentially life-threatening injury that occurs most commonly by trauma to the external neck. In rare instances, endolaryngeal trauma can also result in laryngeal fracture. We report a rare cause of laryngeal fracture due to increased intraluminal pressure during a "closedairway" sneeze. Case: A 38 year old man presented to the emergency department one day following a vigorous closed-airway sneeze that resulted in throat pain, mild hemoptysis and hoarseness. Physical
more » ... ination revealed crepitus of the anterior neck soft tissue without signs of external trauma. CT scan of the neck confirmed an airway injury with a minimally-displaced fracture of the thyroid cartilage and extensive subcutaneous emphysema. Objective Describe this unique case and review the literature for management considerations that apply to endolaryngeal fractures Study Design: Case Report. Methods: Data was collected via a chart review. Results: The patient regained full laryngeal function without complication following conservative medical management. Conclusions: Medical management can be successfully instituted in cases of laryngeal fracture when there is lack of concomitant surrounding tissue injury.
doi:10.1002/lary.21940 fatcat:dwn5aghgkncm5occoiqnjpcqoa