Pseudarthroses of the cornu of the thyroid cartilage.
OBJECTIVE
Injuries to the cartilaginous larynx are rare disorders that usually undergo good spontaneous healing and rarely require surgery.


METHODS
Case series with chart review from patients with pseudarthrosis of the cornu of the thyroid cartilage.


METHODS
ENT department of a level I trauma center.


METHODS
We examined the medical records of seven patients treated for impaired healing of the cornu of the thyroid cartilage at a level I trauma center between 1997 and 2009.


RESULTS
Seven patients were treated as a result of impaired healing of injuries to the cornu of the thyroid cartilage caused by trivial trauma (e.g., car accidents). The principal symptom was odynophagia. Computed tomography was used to confirm the diagnosis. Treatment involved resecting the cornu of the thyroid cartilage. Histology showed a hypertrophic pseudarthrosis at the base of the cornu. All patients were free of symptoms 10 days after resection.


CONCLUSIONS
Pseudarthrosis of the cornu of the thyroid cartilage is a previously undescribed condition. Pseudarthrosis of the laryngeal skeleton should be excluded in patients with odynophagia.
Knopke
Steffen
S
Department of Otolaryngology at UKB, Charité Medical School, Berlin, Germany. steffen.knopke@ukb.de
Todt
Ingo
I
Ernst
Arneborg
A
Seidl
Rainer O
RO
D000058:Accidental Falls; D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011542:Pseudarthrosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D013957:Thyroid Cartilage / Q000293:injuries*; D014754:Violence; D014952:Wrestling / Q000293:injuries