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Case Reports
. 2022 Jun 7;14(6):e25721.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.25721. eCollection 2022 Jun.

Bilateral Vocal Cord Fibrosis: A Delayed Complication of Button Battery Ingestion

Norbert F Banhidy  1 , Shiraz Jamshaid  2 , Reshma Ghedia  2 , Nara Orban  2
Affiliations
Case Reports

Bilateral Vocal Cord Fibrosis: A Delayed Complication of Button Battery Ingestion

Norbert F Banhidy et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

A 14-month-old girl initially presented to the Accident and Emergency (A&E) department following a choking episode and subsequent vomiting. The child left the department before being seen but re-presented the following morning with stridor, drooling, and increased work of breathing. A chest and lateral neck soft tissue X-ray performed in the A&E department revealed an ingested button battery in the oesophagus. Emergency oesophagoscopy was performed and a 22 mm button battery was removed from the oesophagus at the level of the cricopharyngeus muscle, with no immediate complications. Following extubation, the patient was initially well but later required a prolonged hospital stay due to recurrent episodes of stridor, voice changes and aspiration pneumonia. Follow-up microlaryngoscopy and laryngeal electromyography (EMG) diagnosed bilateral vocal cord palsy and cricoarytenoid fibrosis. This case highlights the need for increased public awareness, urgent diagnosis and standardised management of battery ingestion, and discusses the potential for the development of serious latent complications.

Keywords: bilateral vocal cord paralysis; caustic ingestion injury; electromyography (emg); paediatric otorhinolaryngology; paediatric surgery.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Anteroposterior (AP) erect chest X-ray
Figure 2
Figure 2. Lateral soft tissue neck X-ray
Figure 3
Figure 3. Endoscopic view of the button battery and surrounding oesophageal damage
Figure 4
Figure 4. Endoscopic view of the glottis
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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