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Exercise-induced laryngochalasia: an imitator of exercise-induced bronchospasm
U S Björnsdóttir1, K Gudmundsson, H Hjartarson
1University Hospital, Reykjavik, Iceland. usb@rsp.is
Background:
Patients with exercise-induced laryngochalasia present with dyspnea and stridor during exercise. Symptoms are due to a subtotal occlusion of the larynx resulting from mucosal edema from the aryepiglottic folds being drawn into the endolarynx.
Methods:
We report on three patients with exercise-induced bronchospasm, refractory to standard therapy.
Results:
Spirometry with flow-volume loops revealed truncation of the inspiratory limb. Abnormal movement of the arytenoid region was visualized on laryngoscopy. A diagnosis of exercise-induced laryngochalasia was made.
Conclusions:
Evaluation of laryngeal motion in patients with refractory exercise-induced bronchospasm is important. Surgical correction with laser laryngoplasty is effective in carefully selected cases.