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Published on: February 29, 2020
Stridor in an infant with myelomeningocele
Joshua Nagler1, Jason A Levy, Richard G Bachur
1Division of Emergency Medicine, Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Joshua.Nagler@childrens.harvard.edu
Insights
Stridor in infants can signal serious conditions. Ultrasound successfully diagnosed Chiari crisis in an infant with myelomeningocele presenting with stridor.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Emergency Medicine
- Neurology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Stridor is a frequent pediatric emergency department complaint with a wide differential diagnosis.
- Evaluation and management depend on suspected causes and clinical urgency.
Observation:
- A case report details an infant with myelomeningocele presenting with stridor.
- The infant's symptoms prompted an emergency department visit.
Findings:
- Ultrasound was utilized as a diagnostic tool.
- Chiari crisis was identified as the cause of the infant's stridor.
Implications:
- This case highlights ultrasound's utility in diagnosing Chiari crisis in infants with stridor.
- Early diagnosis of Chiari crisis is crucial for appropriate management in pediatric patients.
Abstract:
Stridor is a common presentation to the pediatric emergency department. The differential diagnosis is broad and includes conditions that range from benign to immediately life threatening. The evaluation and management of pediatric patients with stridor can vary, depending on the likely diagnoses and the acuity of the presentation. We report a case of an infant with known myelomeningocele who presented to the emergency department with stridor and the use of ultrasound to diagnose Chiari crisis as the etiology of her symptoms.
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