2016 Volume 67 Issue 6 Pages 406-411
The incidence rate of idiopathic bilateral vocal cord abductor paralysis is quite low in newborns. Here we report the clinical course of a female infant with congenital bilateral vocal cord abductor paralysis. The infant presented with acute cyanosis at birth and tracheal intubation was indicated. Fiber endoscopic examination revealed her vocal cords to be fixed in the midline position. With the exception of Nail-Patella syndrome, no other underlying comorbidity was detected.
Tracheotomy was performed 4 months after birth. Although there were no signs of any spontaneous recovery of vocal cord mobility over a long course of observation, no surgical procedures to lateralize the vocal cords were undertaken. After evaluation of the respiratory data and all of the related conditions, the tracheostoma was closed when the patient attained the age of 18 years. After the closure, she enjoys a quality of life that is better than that when the tracheostoma was present.
