title: Iatrogenic velopharyngeal insufficiency caused by neonatal nasogastric feeding tube.
abstract: Complications from a prolonged nasogastric tube intubation, though seldom reported, are well described. Herein we describe the first two reported cases of velopharyngeal insufficiency secondary to velopharyngeal scarring and immobility from repetitive nasogastric tube insertions and prolonged use. Differing only in location, the proposed pathophysiologic mechanism of injury is identical to that of the nasogastric tube syndrome, a rare and serious, well described entity consisting of bilateral vocal fold paralysis due to pressure-induced ulceration of the posterior cricoarytenoid musculature.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Division of Pediatric Otolaryngology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA. Electronic address: aron.pollack@nyumc.org.
authors.forename: Aron Z
authors.initials: AZ
authors.lastname: Pollack
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Division of Pediatric Otolaryngology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Robert F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Otolaryngology Unit, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Dana Children's Hospital, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Ari
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: DeRowe
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Division of Pediatric Otolaryngology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Max M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: April
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007049:Iatrogenic Disease; D007441:Intubation, Gastrointestinal / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008297:Male; D013064:Speech Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D014681:Velopharyngeal Insufficiency / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery
keywords: Nasogastric tube; Nasogastric tube syndrome; Velopharyngeal insufficiency