Nasal obstruction in infancy

Nasal Disorders

Nasal obstruction, rhinorrhea, and epistaxis are common presenting concerns in primary care clinics. Nasal disorders affect the quality of life for many children and families. Rarely, these complaints may represent a life-threatening condition among infant obligate nasal breathers or cases of unusual pathology. The most common causes of rhinorrhea and nasal obstruction vary by age and include physiologic, infectious, allergic, foreign body, irritant, and traumatic causes. Less commonly, children may have congenital malformations, sinonasal masses, or autoimmune disease. The most common causes of epistaxis are inflammatory, environmental, and traumatic causes and medication misuse, but rarely, children may have predisposing anatomic, hematologic, or vascular abnormalities or even sinonasal tumors. In this article, we provide a thorough review of the common nasal disorders treated every day in primary care clinics and mention briefly some of the rare but serious cases that may be overlooked without considering a full differential diagnosis.

Single median maxillary central incisor syndrome and variant in SMO gene associated with SHH pathway

Solitary median maxillary central incisor syndrome (SMMCI) is a rare congenital oronasal-dental midline anomaly. The aim of this paper is a presentation of a patient with SMMCI without other visible dentofacial anomalies, with a potentially new molecular etiology consisting of a gene-gene reaction and conservative therapeutic approach to nasal obstruction. Potentially pathogenic variants in the SMO gene (p.Gly422Glu) and in P2RY13 gene (p.Trp205*) inherited from the probant's father, and in the PLD2 gene (p.Gln319fs), inherited from the mother were found. A multidisciplinary approach is necessary for the management of patients with SMMCI, including a genetic consultation with genetic tests.

Congenital nasal pyriform aperture stenosis in association with solitary median maxillary central incisor: unique radiologic features

Solitary median maxillary central incisor (SMMCI) coexists in 34%-65% of patients initially diagnosed with congenital nasal pyriform aperture stenosis. SMMCI, a genetic syndrome, warrants consideration for further screening because of its high prevalence of other diagnostic possibilities—specifically central defects, like nasal obstruction and hypothalamo-pituitary axis abnormalities. We report on a presentation of SMMCI with congenital nasal pyriform aperture stenosis which highlights the unique radiologic features and notes the relationship between these two central associated findings in the literature.

Cardiopulmonary arrest caused by craniometaphyseal dysplasia

Craniometaphyseal dysplasia is a rare congenital disorder that can cause craniofacial skeleton and tubular bone anomalies. A 7-month-old girl, with congenital facial palsy, mouth breathing, and nasal obstruction, was brought to the hospital because she suffered sudden cardiopulmonary arrest. Computed tomography showed bony narrowing of the choanae. The diagnosis was cardiopulmonary arrest triggered by asphyxia caused by severe choanal stenosis. She showed hypoxic encephalopathy and underwent a tracheotomy and an operation to enlarge choanae. When a neonate or young infant shows signs of nasal obstruction, physicians should aggressively search for and consider the possibility of choanal atresia or severe stenosis.

[Upper airway obstruction (foreign bodies excluded)]

Upper airway obstruction is a frequent cause of admission to the emergency department and the intensive care unit. Symptoms are mainly represented by dyspnea and stridor. Severity must be rapidly assessed to allow adapted treatment and avoid cardiac arrest and hypoxic encephalopathy. The possible etiologies are numerous, with acquired and congenital ones, but the majority is represented by laryngitis, lymphoid hypertrophy and laryngotracheomalacia. In case of respiratory failure, treatment must first establish airway patency with bag and mask ventilation, and then intubation. If vital prognosis is not threatened, biologic, radiologic or endoscopic examination can be performed to identify the cause of the obstruction and treat it.