[Etiologically uncertain nasal obstructions in newborn infants]

Abstract

This is a report on two neonates suffering from a severe nasal obstruction with respiratory distress. The cause of dyspnoea was identified as an abnormal bony narrowing at the level of the apertura piriformis. The etiology of this anomaly remains obscure. Surgical treatment was mandatory and performed as a transnasal approach using the operating microscope and otosurgical instruments. A special stent was used (U-shaped custom-made Portex tube) for several weeks to prevent recurrent narrowing. The advantage of a transnasal approach compared to the sublabial route is described and discussed.