Exercise-induced laryngochalasia: an imitator of exercise-induced bronchospasm.
BACKGROUND
Patients with exercise-induced laryngochalasia present with dyspnea and stridor during exercise. Symptoms are due to a subtotal occlusion of the larynx resulting from mucosal edema from the aryepiglottic folds being drawn into the endolarynx.


METHODS
We report on three patients with exercise-induced bronchospasm, refractory to standard therapy.


RESULTS
Spirometry with flow-volume loops revealed truncation of the inspiratory limb. Abnormal movement of the arytenoid region was visualized on laryngoscopy. A diagnosis of exercise-induced laryngochalasia was made.


CONCLUSIONS
Evaluation of laryngeal motion in patients with refractory exercise-induced bronchospasm is important. Surgical correction with laser laryngoplasty is effective in carefully selected cases.
Björnsdóttir
U S
US
University Hospital, Reykjavik, Iceland. usb@rsp.is
Gudmundsson
K
K
Hjartarson
H
H
Bröndbo
K
K
Magnússon
B
B
Juliusson
S
S
D000293:Adolescent; D001250:Asthma, Exercise-Induced / Q000175:diagnosis; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007818:Laryngeal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D053685:Laser Therapy