AN UNEXPECTED CAUSE OF PERSISTENT DYSPHONIA IN ADULTS!

Abstract

Inhalation of foreign objects is a common reason in paediatric emergency departments, linked to a significant morbidity or even mortality rate, especially in children under 3 years of age. The occurrence in adults without neurological comorbidity remains rare. We report the case of a 50-year-old with a history of alcohol-smoking intoxication who had suddenly presented a symptomatology associating: dysphonia and dyspnea and after 15 days of evolution, an ENT notice was requested. Cervical CT scans and endoscopy of the upper aerodigestive pathways were performed in an emergency and objectified a glottic foreign body: inhaled denture and not noticed by the patient !!. The extraction of the foreign body under general anesthesia led to the disappearance of dyspnea and dysphonia was gradually improved under treatment. In the case of a foreign body of the upper airways, the absence of penetration syndrome at the examination and a non-specific symptomatology can lead to a diagnostic and therapeutic delay that can have dramatic consequences. At the slightest doubt, an endoscopy of the upper airways under general anesthesia should be performed.