1/2. exercise-induced laryngochalasia: an imitator of exercise-induced bronchospasm.BACKGROUND: patients with exercise-induced laryngochalasia present with dyspnea and stridor during exercise. Symptoms are due to a subtotal occlusion of the larynx resulting from mucosal edema from the aryepiglottic folds being drawn into the endolarynx. methods: We report on three patients with exercise-induced bronchospasm, refractory to standard therapy. RESULTS: spirometry with flow-volume loops revealed truncation of the inspiratory limb. Abnormal movement of the arytenoid region was visualized on laryngoscopy. A diagnosis of exercise-induced laryngochalasia was made. CONCLUSIONS: Evaluation of laryngeal motion in patients with refractory exercise-induced bronchospasm is important. Surgical correction with laser laryngoplasty is effective in carefully selected cases.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = motion (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/2. Abnormal movement of the arytenoid region during exercise presenting as exercise-induced asthma in an adolescent athlete.A 16-year-old female basketball player presented with a 2 1/2-year history of exercise-induced severe dyspnea, stridor, and mild wheezing that did not respond to prophylactic treatment with beta-agonists and cromolyn. Spirometric data at rest were normal, but flow-volume loops during exercise suggested a variable extrathoracic obstruction. Laryngoscopic evaluation while the patient was riding an exercise bicycle demonstrated an abnormal motion of the arytenoid region causing obstruction of the airway during inspiration. The vocal cords moved normally. This patient demonstrates the capacity of supraglottic tissue to obstruct the airway during exercise as a cause for exercise-induced dyspnea and stridor. patients with this disorder may be misdiagnosed as having exercise-induced asthma.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = motion (Clic here for more details about this article) |