title: Nasopharyngeal encephalocele: a rare cause of upper airway obstruction.
abstract: Nasopharyngeal encephalocele is a rare, benign congenital anomaly. It has the potential to be fatal due to airway obstruction. Here, we report on a 34-day-old infant with pneumonia who underwent mechanical ventilation. An upper airway evaluation was performed due to prolonged intubation, and revealed the presence of a nasopharyngeal encephalocele. The patient tolerated extubation and oral feeding after surgical resection of the lesion. Awareness of the condition can help clinicians arrive at an earlier diagnosis and enhance management.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey. gkalkanmd@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Gokhan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kalkan
authors.forename: Sukru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Paksu
authors.forename: Nazik
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Asilioglu
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kiliç
mesh_terms: D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D004677:Encephalocele / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D009302:Nasopharyngeal Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D035583:Rare Diseases; D018570:Risk Assessment; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Airway obstruction; Encephalocele; Respiratory insufficiency