title: A case of chondronecrosis of the epiglottis after laser chordotomy.
abstract: A 30-year-old Caucasian female patient suffering from bilateral vocal-fold immobility developed a necrosis of the epiglottis with severe respiratory distress 35 days after fiber-guided Nd:YAG-laser chordotomy on the right side. Twenty-two years prior to surgery, she had received a high-dose radiotherapy, which had caused severe scarring of the whole neck and the larynx. This necrosis is more likely an inflammatory complication than a direct side effect of the laser surgery in the radiation-altered laryngeal tissue. It underlines the importance of carefully considering the indications for laser surgery of an irradiated larynx.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, Lessingstrasse 2, 07740 Jena, Germany. a.mueller@med.uni-jena.de
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Reiner
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gottschall
authors.forename: Friedrich
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Paulsen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000209:etiology; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D002818:Cordotomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004825:Epiglottis / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007818:Laryngeal Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D007830:Larynx / Q000528:radiation effects; D009336:Necrosis; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D012120:Respiration Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents