eMedicine Specialties > Pediatrics: General Medicine > Pulmonology

Congenital Stridor: Follow-up

Author: Timothy D Murphy, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pulmonology, University of Pittsburgh; Consulting Staff, Division of Pulmonology, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh
Coauthor(s): Clement L Ren, MD,, Chief, Division of Pediatric Pulmonology, Department of Pediatrics, Associate Professor, Golisano Children's Hospital at Strong, University of Rochester, New York
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: Feb 17, 2009

Follow-up

Complications

  • The primary complication from congenital stridor is airway compromise and respiratory failure.
  • Other complications include failure to thrive secondary to increased work of breathing.

Prognosis

  • The prognosis for congenital stridor depends on the specific cause. In general, it is very good.
  • For conditions such as laryngomalacia, the condition is self-limited and resolves on its own.
  • For other conditions, such as subglottic stenosis, surgical correction is curative.

Miscellaneous

Medicolegal Pitfalls

The major medical pitfall in evaluation of congenital stridor is failure to make the diagnosis.

  • Infants are frequently diagnosed with congestion or asthma.
  • True viral upper respiratory infections in infants younger than 1 month are rare.
  • Persistently abnormal noisy breathing is unlikely to be associated with a viral illness and warrants further investigation.
 


More on Congenital Stridor

Overview: Congenital Stridor
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Congenital Stridor
Treatment & Medication: Congenital Stridor
Follow-up: Congenital Stridor
References
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References

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  2. Berdon WE, Baker DH. Vascular anomalies and the infant lung: rings, slings, and other things. Semin Roentgenol. Jan 1972;7(1):39-64. [Medline].

  3. Zalzal GH, Anon JB, Cotton RT. Epiglottoplasty for the treatment of laryngomalacia. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. Jan-Feb 1987;96(1 Pt 1):72-6. [Medline].

  4. Cotton RT. Pediatric laryngotracheal stenosis. J Pediatr Surg. Dec 1984;19(6):699-704. [Medline].

  5. Cotton RT, Evans JN. Laryngotracheal reconstruction in children. Five-year follow-up. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. Sep-Oct 1981;90(5 Pt 1):516-20. [Medline].

  6. Cotton RT, Schreiber JT. Management of laryngotracheoesophageal cleft. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. Jul-Aug 1981;90(4 Pt 1):401-5. [Medline].

  7. McSwiney PF, Cavanagh NP, Languth P. Outcome in congenital stridor (laryngomalacia). Arch Dis Child. Mar 1977;52(3):215-8. [Medline].

  8. Nielson DW, Heldt GP, Tooley WH. Stridor and gastroesophageal reflux in infants. Pediatrics. Jun 1990;85(6):1034-9. [Medline].

  9. Orenstein SR, Kocoshis SA, Orenstein DM, Proujansky R. Stridor and gastroesophageal reflux: diagnostic use of intraluminal esophageal acid perfusion (Bernstein test). Pediatr Pulmonol. Nov-Dec 1987;3(6):420-4. [Medline].

  10. Parnell FW, Brandenburg JH. Vocal cord paralysis. A review of 100 cases. Laryngoscope. Jul 1970;80(7):1036-45. [Medline].

  11. Richardson MA, Cotton RT. Anatomic abnormalities of the pediatric airway. Ear Nose Throat J. Jan 1985;64(1):47-60. [Medline].

  12. Stanger P, Lucas RV Jr, Edwards JE. Anatomic factors causing respiratory distress in acyanotic congenital cardiac disease. Special reference to bronchial obstruction. Pediatrics. May 1969;43(5):760-9. [Medline].

  13. Weiss LN. The diagnosis of wheezing in children. Am Fam Physician. Apr 15 2008;77(8):1109-14. [Medline].

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Further Reading

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Keywords

congenital stridor, congenital croup, chronic congestion, obstruction of airway, noisy breathing, obstruction of trachea, trachea obstruction, micrognathia, bilateral vocal cord paralysis, subglottic hemangioma, airway obstruction, respiratory distress, failure to thrive, increased work of breathing, laryngomalacia, Arnold-Chiari malformation, webs, cysts, papillomata, and laryngotracheoesophageal clefts, subglottic stenosis, double aortic arch, pulmonary artery sling, bronchogenic cyst, tracheomalacia, gastroesophageal reflux, GER, cardio-vocal syndrome, airway foreign body

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Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

Timothy D Murphy, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pulmonology, University of Pittsburgh; Consulting Staff, Division of Pulmonology, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Clement L Ren, MD,, Chief, Division of Pediatric Pulmonology, Department of Pediatrics, Associate Professor, Golisano Children's Hospital at Strong, University of Rochester, New York
Clement L Ren, MD, is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology, American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Chest Physicians, and American Thoracic Society
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Medical Editor

Thomas Scanlin, MD, Chief, Division of Pediatric Pulmonary & Cystic Fibrosis, Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Robert Wood Johnson University Medical Group
Thomas Scanlin, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Thoracic Society and Society for Pediatric Research
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pharmacy Editor

Mary L Windle, PharmD, Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy, Pharmacy Editor, eMedicine
Disclosure: Pfizer Inc Stock Investment from financial planner; Avanir Pharma Stock Investment from financial planner ; WebMD Salary and stock Employment and investment from financial planner

Managing Editor

Charles Callahan, DO, Professor, Deputy Chief of Clinical Services, Walter Reed Army Medical Center
Charles Callahan, DO is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Chest Physicians, American College of Osteopathic Pediatricians, American Thoracic Society, Association of Military Surgeons of the US, and Christian Medical & Dental Society
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

CME Editor

Mary E Cataletto, MD, Associate Director, Division of Pediatric Pulmonology, Winthrop University Hospital; Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, State University of New York at Stony Brook; Director of Children's Sleep Services, Winthrop University Hospital
Mary E Cataletto, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Pediatrics and American College of Chest Physicians
Disclosure: Shering Plough Pharmaceuticals Honoraria Consulting

Chief Editor

Michael R Bye, MD, Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons; Attending Physician, Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of New York Presbyterian, Columbia University Medical Center
Michael R Bye, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Chest Physicians, and American Thoracic Society
Disclosure: Merck Honoraria Speaking and teaching

 
 
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