title: Management of congenital buccopharyngeal membrane.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe our experience in treating congenital buccopharyngeal membranes and reflect on lessons learned managing this rare anomaly.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case series of two patients followed 3 and 6 years, respectively.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two different academic tertiary-care medical centers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two patients with congenital buccopharyngeal membranes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Multiple pharyngoplasties, including the use of lasers, rotated mucosal flaps, and oropharyngeal stents.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The first patient has had her tracheotomy removed, but she still uses a gastrostomy tube and has an expressive speech delay. The second patient can eat well but has persistent speech and airway problems, largely due to his micrognathia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Centrally dehiscent buccopharyngeal membranes are rare and require carefully planned treatment. Associated anomalies worsen the prognosis. We propose a set of recommendations to assist in the management of this difficult problem.
authors.affiliation: Division of Otolaryngology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta 30912-4060, USA.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Bent
authors.forename: F N
authors.initials: FN
authors.lastname: Klippert
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000209:etiology; D004750:Enteral Nutrition; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005774:Gastrostomy / Q000295:instrumentation; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D053685:Laser Therapy; D008844:Micrognathism / Q000150:complications; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000601:surgery / Q000637:transplantation; D010614:Pharynx / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000601:surgery; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects; D012008:Recurrence; D013064:Speech Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D015607:Stents; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D014140:Tracheotomy; D016896:Treatment Outcome