title: Congenital pyriform aperture stenosis.
abstract: Neonates rely on the nasal airway for their source of air; thus, any compromise in the ability to inhale will dramatically alter their ability to breathe. Congenital nasal pyriform aperture stenosis is a rare yet serious form of airway obstruction due to overgrowth of the maxilla at the medial nasal process. Infants typically present with difficulty feeding and obvious difficulty breathing. Radiologic imaging aids in confirming the diagnosis and assists in operative planning to open the medial nasal process to reduce airway resistance. Further corrective surgery is often needed and is planned commensurate with facial growth. We present a novel case of a child diagnosed with congenital nasal pyriform aperture stenosis who has performed extraordinarily well intellectually and has achieved an excellent cosmetic and physiological reconstruction of the nose and airway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27157-1075, USA.
authors.forename: Gaurav
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bharti
authors.forename: Leslie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Groves
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sanger
authors.forename: Louis C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Argenta
mesh_terms: D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008437:Maxilla / Q000002:abnormalities; D015508:Nasal Obstruction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D009666:Nose / Q000002:abnormalities*; D013517:Otorhinolaryngologic Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed