Neonatal septoplasty: case report and review of the literature

Abstract

Treatment of nasal septal deformity in childhood has received growing acceptance in recent years. Traditionally, concern about the role of the septum in the overall growth of the midface has led otolaryngologists to take a very cautious approach to correction of septal deformities in children. However, a great deal of evidence now suggests that severe traumatic septal deviation can and should be corrected early in childhood to prevent future nasal and systemic complications. Closed manipulation of the septum in the first 1-2 days of an infant's life has been performed by many otolaryngologists with good results. The use of this technique, however, is usually limited to those subluxations of anterior cartilage which are diagnosed immediately or very shortly after birth. We present a case of severe traumatic nasal deformity presenting with obstructive asleep and awake apnea and cyanosis at the age of 8 days. The child underwent limited septoplasty using endoscopic techniques at age 14 days with resolution of both the apneic and cyanotic episodes immediately post-operatively. This unusual presentation and the literature surrounding infant nasal/septal surgery are discussed.