Laryngeal papilomatosis presenting with acute upper airway obstruction.

ABSTRACT

A six year old boy who presented with sudden onset of difficulty in breathing following a week’s history of cough and a sensation of foreign body in the throat. On clinical examination he was in severe respiratory distress with markedly diminished breath sounds bilaterally. Respiratory distress was positional with some relief observed with change in position. A CT scan done showed normal thoracic inlet and a chest X-ray showed hyperinflation of the lungs bilaterally. Direct laryngoscopy under general anesthesia revealed an extensive mass of papilomatous growth occluding the glottis; this was excised and processed in the histopathology Laboratory. Patient recovered fully and was discharged from the hospital two days after surgery in excellent condition. A monthly follow up for six months after discharge was uneventful, with no recurrence.