A Case of Congenital Nasal Pyriform Aperture Stenosis

ABSTRACT

The cause of congenital nasal pyriform aperture stenosis is unclear. The development of the facial skeleton occurs between the fifth and the eighth week of gestation. It is at this stage that the stenosis occurs due to overgrowth of the ossification of the maxilla. Infants are obligate nasal breathers. Incomplete and milder forms of nasal airway obstruction may be present with mild respiratory distress, cyanosis, respiratory failure, asphyxia and eventual death. The diagnosis is done by CT, which demonstrates marked narrowing of the nasal inlet. Mild stenosis can be managed conservatively with humidification and topical decongestants but if conservative treatment fails, surgical intervention is candidate. We report a case of congenital nasal pyriform aperture stenosis. The patient, a 2-day old male neonate, had cyanosis during feeding and noisy breathing relieved by crying. His symptoms and signs were improved with surgical intervention without development disturbances.