Bilateral complete choanal atresia in an adult woman--managed with nasal endoscopes

J Indian Med Assoc. 2010 Feb;108(2):109-10.

Abstract

Choanal atresia usually presents at birth as respiratory distress and difficulty in feeding. Unilateral choanal atresia is sometimes missed during childhood but bilateral choanal atresia present in a newborn as a medical emergency and if immediate measures are not taken to relieve obstruction, it may result in death of the child. There are very few cases in literature where bilateral choanal atresia was detected in an adult as a chance finding or in a patient complaining of nasal obstruction, speech problem or sinusitis. Here a case of an adult female is reported who presented as a case of bilateral pansinusitis but was later found to have bilateral complete choanal atresia. Nasal endoscopes were used for surgical repair of choanal atresia.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Choanal Atresia / diagnosis
  • Choanal Atresia / surgery*
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Endoscopy / methods*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Nasal Cavity