Bilateral congenital choanal atresia in a 13-year-old patient

Abstract

Congenital choanal atresia (CCA) is the developmental failure of the nasal cavity to communicate with the nasopharynx. Surgical repair is recommended in the first weeks of life in bilateral cases, because in newborns this is a life-threatening situation. This is a case report of a 13-year-old patient complaining of long-term bilateral nasal obstruction and rhinorrea, in whom bilateral choanal atresia was diagnosed by endoscopic exploration and CT scan, and who was treated by an endonasal endoscopic surgical technique. Bilateral choanal atresia is a life-threatening disease in newborns; however, it can be diagnosed in adults with bilateral nasal obstruction and rhinorrea.