Severe laryngeal fracture treated by supracricoid laryngectomy.
OBJECTIVE
To report a rare case of severe laryngeal fracture treated by supracricoid laryngectomy. Previously, a few cases of major laryngeal trauma treated by reconstructive laryngectomy have been briefly described. This paper aims to comprehensively document a rare case of severe laryngeal fracture for which this difficult treatment choice represented an acceptable option.


METHODS
A 33-year-old woman sustained very serious blunt laryngeal trauma. The complexity of the laryngeal injuries led us to opt for supracricoid laryngectomy, rather than to attempt laryngeal repair.


RESULTS
The post-operative course was normal. The patient's post-operative voice was breathy but functional. No airway stenoses occurred.


CONCLUSIONS
For severe laryngeal fractures, reparative procedures and stenting constitute the standard treatment. However, in selected and especially critical cases, a primary partial or reconstructive laryngectomy is justifiable.
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Ospedale Maggiore, Bologna, Italy. roberto.consalici@ausl.bologna.it
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Dall'Olio
D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D000328:Adult; D055154:Dysphonia / Q000209:etiology; D004945:Esophagoscopy; D005260:Female; D050724:Fractures, Cartilage / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007817:Laryngeal Cartilages / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery; D007818:Laryngeal Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D007825:Laryngectomy / Q000379:methods*; D007828:Laryngoscopy