Isolation of varicella-zoster virus from blood

Abstract

and edematous or nodular. The vocal cords were rarely abnormal, which explains why airway obstruction rather than vocal changes usually occurs. In a few patients, laryngeal sarcoidosis was observed in the absence of other systemic manifestations of the disease. It is noteworthy that progression of the extrathoracic manifestations of our patient's disease occurred at a time when pulmonary involvement appeared to be stable. This coincides with the experience previously reported in adults. 6 Recognition of this phenomenon should encourage upper airway examination of children with increasing respiratory distress associated with sarcoidosis. Diminution of the laryngeal edema by large dose prednisone therapy prevented an anticipated tracheotomy. The recurrence of dyspnea while on a high-dose, alternate-day prednisone regimen, however, necessitated surgical excision of polypoid granulomatous tissue to prevent upper respiratory tract obstruction. Localization of the subglottic lesions by xeroradiography 7 prior to surgery facilitated therapy by accentuating the margins of nodular masses accessible to extirpation.