Laryngeal ventricle mass in a newborn with stridor

Abstract

Objectives: Newborn stridor can be an alarming symptom to the child’s parents and health care team. While a few etiologies explain the majority of cases, unusual causes must be kept within the differential diagnosis. Methods: We report and discuss an unusual case of a 6-day-old newborn male with presumed meconium aspiration who underwent deep suctioning of the trachea at birth. The child subsequently developed inspiratory stridor soon after birth. Nasopharyngoscopy revealed a pale polypoid mass arising from the left laryngeal ventricle. Results: With a presumptive diagnosis of vocal cord granuloma, the patient was initially treated with steroids. There was no change in the mass size after several days of steroid treatment. The child underwent direct laryngoscopy and the mass was excised using cupped biopsy forceps. Pathological examination of the mass revealed herniated ventricular tissue into the larynx with central necrosis. Conclusion: From our review of the literature, this is the first reported case of ventricular mucosal herniation causing stridor in a newborn. The differential diagnosis of newborn stridor and treatment courses are discussed.