Congenital Complete Arhinia: Report of a Rare Case.

ABSTRACT

Congenital absence of the nose (arhinia) is extremely rare. Arhinia leads to severe airway impairment and poor feeding in the neonate. Th e degree of nasal absence varies from case to case. Here, we present a case of congenital complete arhinia associated with other craniofacial anomalies. Arhinia leads to severe respiratory distress and feeding problems in newborn warranting emergency management, but our case diff ers as the child was adapted to mouth breathing and naso-gastric tube feeding, giving us the opportunity to delay the defi nitive management for a few weeks yet avoiding the risk of operating in a small child to create nasal airway or tracheostomy on an emergency basis.