Subglottic cysts: The Great Ormond Street experience in 105 patients

Congenital subglottic cyst: a rare cause for sudden airway compromise in a newborn

A full-term infant developed stridor, respiratory distress and hypercarbia shortly after birth requiring urgent airway intervention. The patient underwent urgent intubation via rigid bronchoscopy. The diagnosis of congenital subglottic cyst was made. The cyst was decompressed and the patient was extubated the following day. On repeat laryngoscopy 1 month later, there was no residual disease and the patient remained symptom free. Congenital subglottic cysts are extremely rare and the diagnosis can be either missed or misdiagnosed with more common causes of stridor, such as laryngomalacia. Subglottic cysts may cause total airway obstruction and even death if they are large enough and not treated immediately.

Surgical management of complex neonatal airway abnormalities

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The neonatal airway is subject to a variety of developmental abnormalities with a wide range of complexity. Symptomatic pathologies present in a spectrum ranging from simple noisy breathing or poor feeding to frank respiratory distress. Diagnosis requires a high index of suspicion, characterization of noisy breathing, and identification of obstructive symptoms such as increased work of breathing, retractions, and difficulty feeding. Surgical management is directed by the pathology.

RECENT FINDINGS

The past several years have seen an expansion of surgical innovation as endoscopic and open techniques have evolved. We reviewed articles related to neonatal and infant airway diagnoses since 2020 with the goal of providing a current review and update of developing techniques. Specifically, we discuss some of the exciting trends in surgical management of vocal fold paralysis, laryngeal clefts, subglottic stenosis, tracheobronchomalacia as well as the role of ex utero intrapartum therapy (EXIT procedures).

SUMMARY

An underlying theme in evolving surgical management is the exciting advancements in technology, including 3-D printing, and expansion of minimally invasive endoscopic techniques. Though some of these developments are in the initial stages of utilization, they may be potential sources to transform surgical management in the future.

Subglottic cysts in preterm infants: superficially located cysts versus deeply buried cysts in the mucosa

PURPOSE

To analyze the reason for the diversity of the clinical course of subglottic cysts and discuss their pre- and coexistence with subglottic stenosis.

METHODS

The medical records of patients who were treated for subglottic cysts between 2003 and 2020 were retrospectively reviewed and direct laryngoscopy videos were analyzed to assess the healing patterns of their disease.

RESULTS

Of the 15 patients, 10 had a history of intubation in the neonatal period. In 11 patients, the cysts were transparent and well defined, and no recurrence of subglottic cysts occurred after the initial surgery. In four patients, the cysts were located deep in the mucosa and did not have the typical appearance of a cyst, but rather of a stenotic segment; all of them had a history of intubation and three of them required laryngotracheal reconstruction.

CONCLUSION

Transparent, thin-walled superficial subglottic cysts with healthy surrounding mucosa can easily be treated with endoscopic marsupialization; however, the treatment of deep subglottic cysts can be challenging. The coexistence of subglottic cysts and subglottic stenosis is not rare. We point out the need for considering the possibility of a missed deep submucosal cyst in a seemingly refractory case of pediatric subglottic stenosis with atypical endoscopic findings and with a background history of prior intubation.