Vallecular cyst: an uncommon cause of stridor in newborn infants

Vallecular cyst, a rare but generally benign lesion in the larynx, may caus e strider 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 appropri ate for gestational age. The clinical presentations included strider, chest wall retraction, feeding difficulties and failure to thrive. Laryngomalaci a was the most common associated anomaly. Flexible laryngoscopy was suffici ent for diagnosing the vallecular cyst and larygmalacia. Maintenance of air way patency, nutritional support, and de-roofing of the cyst were the mains tays of management. Conclusion Vallecular cyst should be included in the differential diagnosis of strider in newborn infants. Respiratory and feeding difficulties in the se patients can be dramatically improved after appropriate surgical removal of the cyst.