Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Case Reports
. 2015 Apr;97(3):e50-1.
doi: 10.1308/003588414X14055925061793.

Upper airway obstruction in a patient with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome

Affiliations
Case Reports

Upper airway obstruction in a patient with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome

D Chatzoudis et al. Ann R Coll Surg Engl. 2015 Apr.

Abstract

We report a case of recurrent airway obstruction episodes resulting from laryngeal hypermobility in a patient with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. A 44-year-old woman, with known Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, presented with recent onset of episodes of upper airway obstruction due to hypermobility of her larynx. A suitable conservative management strategy proved elusive and the patient finally underwent a thyrohyoidopexy. The patient remains symptom free nine months after the procedure. This is the first report of spontaneous life threatening upper airway obstruction due to hypermobility of the suprahyoid suspensory soft tissues in Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.

Keywords: Airway obstruction; Ehlers–Danlos syndrome; Larynx.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Beighton P, De Paepe A, Steinmann B et al. Ehlers–Danlos syndromes: revised nosology, Villefranche, 1997. Am J Med Genet 1998; 77: 31–37. - PubMed
    1. Grahame R, Beighton P. Physical properties of the skin in the Ehlers–Danlos syndrome. Ann Rheum Dis 1969; 28: 246–251. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Gillespie MB, Ayers CM, Nguyen SA, Abidin MR. Outcomes of hyoid myotomy and suspension using a mandibular screw suspension system. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2011; 144: 225–229. - PubMed
    1. Bailey BJ, Johnson JT. Head & Neck Surgery – Otolaryngology. Philadephia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2006. p1,743.
    1. De Paepe A, Malfait F. Bleeding and bruising in patients with Ehlers–Danlos syndrome and other collagen vascular disorders. Br J Haematol 2004; 127: 491–500. - PubMed

Publication types