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Case Reports
. 2017 Jun 20;2017(6):rjx111.
doi: 10.1093/jscr/rjx111. eCollection 2017 Jun.

Complete cricotracheal transection due to blunt neck trauma without significant symptoms

Reza Ershadi  1 , Asghar Hajipour  1 , Mohamadrahim Vakili  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Complete cricotracheal transection due to blunt neck trauma without significant symptoms

Reza Ershadi et al. J Surg Case Rep. .

Abstract

Laryngotracheal injuries are relatively rare but their mortality rate is fairly high. Complete disruption of trachea is extremely rare and a systematic approach is needed for early diagnosis and favourable outcome. The patients symptoms and physical signs do not necessarily correlate with the severity of the injuries and this case report highlights it. This is a case report of 25-year-old man who arrived to the emergency department 8 h after a motor accident in which a rope was wrapped around his neck. Because of the good general and respiratory condition of the patient on admission, the pathognomonic signs of laryngeal injury were not noticed. A computed tomographic scan showed distortion of cricotracheal framework. Flexible bronchoscopy showed cricotracheal transaction. Immediately, the endotracheal tube was advanced distal to the transection site under bronchoscopic guide and then after neck exploration primary end-to-end cricotracheal anastomosis was performed.

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Figures

Figure 1:
Figure 1:
A 25-year-old man with blunt neck trauma (after intubation).
Figure 2:
Figure 2:
Supin chest radiograph showing pneumomediastinum and neck subcutaneous emphysema.
Figure 3:
Figure 3:
(A) CT image of the neck showing subcutaneous emphysema and larygotracheal framework distortion. (B) CT image of the chest showing pneumomediastinum.
Figure 4:
Figure 4:
Neck exploration demonstrated complete cricotracheal separation (arrow showing cricoid).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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