Endoscopy: a must in neonatal respiratory distress.

Abstract

Respiratory distress in a newborn presents both diagnostic and therapeutic dilemmas. Definitive treatment must be preceded by an accurate diagnosis other than in extremes. Complete tracheal rings are a very rare congenital cause of airway obstruction. Unlike other causes of upper airway obstruction, this cannot be relieved by tracheostomy, which may be counterproductive. We report the case of an 8-day-old female baby who presented with respiratory distress and was found to have complete tracheal rings and right pulmonary agenesis. The value of tracheo-bronchoscopy in this case cannot be overstressed.

• Authors: M K Aneeshkumar, E Osman, S Ghosh, R W Clarke
• Journal: European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery (Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol) Vol. 262 Issue 5 Pg. 437-9 (May 2005) ISSN: 0937-4477 [Print] Germany
• PMID: 15378318 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)

Topics

• Airway Obstruction (congenital, etiology)
• Bronchoscopy (methods)
• Fatal Outcome
• Female
• Humans
• Infant, Newborn
• Lung (abnormalities)
• Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn (diagnosis, etiology)
• Tomography, X-Ray Computed
• Trachea (abnormalities, pathology)