title: Delayed presentation of a large congenital laryngeal cleft in an adult.
abstract: Laryngeal clefts are rare congenital malformations of the posterior laryngotracheal wall that lead to an abnormal communication between the airway and pharyngo-oesophageal tract. The condition is almost universally identified during infancy with minor laryngeal clefts very rarely diagnosed in adulthood. We present our tertiary centre's experience of a large laryngeal cleft presenting at an advanced age, with the aim of increasing awareness of this correctible cause of respiratory distress and aspiration in adults.
authors.affiliation: Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, UK.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bakir
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hughes
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Madani
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sandhu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007830:Larynx / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D011859:Radiography