Thread: Causes of stridor in new born

laryngomalacia -- most common
Foreign body [meconium] inhalation
Vocal cord palsy
Haemangioma of larynx
Laryngeal cyst
Laryngeal web, stenosis
birth trauma
congintal goiter
pierre Robin syndrome [Micrognanthia and glossoptosis]

Vallecular cyst, a rare but generally benign lesion in the larynx, may cause stridor and even life-threatening airway obstruction in early infancy. We retrospectively studied 14 cases of newborn infants with vallecular cyst. There was no gender predilection and most cases were full-term and appropriate for gestational age. The clinical presentations included stridor, chest wall retraction, feeding difficulties and failure to thrive. Laryngomalacia was the most common associated anomaly. Flexible laryngoscopy was sufficient for diagnosing the vallecular cyst and larygmalacia. Maintenance of airway patency, nutritional support, and de-roofing of the cyst were the mainstays of management. CONCLUSION: Vallecular cyst should be included in the differential diagnosis of stridor in newborn infants. Respiratory and feeding difficulties in these patients can be dramatically improved after appropriate surgical removal of the cyst.