Evaluation and treatment of acute laryngeal fractures

Treatment of laryngeal fractures continues to evolve, and the airway now can be restored without stenosis or aspiration in most cases. However, the best treatment of vocal cord dysfunction from trauma remains uncertain, and the value of computerized tomographic scan (CT) is controversial. In this report, we describe the symptoms, radiologic findings, and treatment of 15 consecutive cases of laryngeal trauma. The value of CT for assessing the cricoarytenoid area is discussed. We also found CT to be reliable for defining the extent of soft tissue trauma and for diagnosing the presence and displacement of any fractures. Endoscopic photographs are compared with CT scan photographs to illustrate the correlation of CT with the degree of trauma. Finally, we present a method of laryngeal fracture repair using autologous thyroid cartilage.