Surgical treatment of symptomatic subglottic stenosis during the third trimester of pregnancy

Subglottic stenosis is a narrowing of the airway distal to the glottis. Airway narrowing can be severe and, when coupled with pregnancy, can pose a significant threat to the mother and fetus. There is sparse literature describing treatment of these critical patients, posing a challenge for management. We describe our experience with a 31-year-old woman with idiopathic subglottic stenosis who became symptomatic during her pregnancy, requiring surgical intervention early in her third trimester. The following case report describes this patient's presentation and management, in which an awake dilation technique was used. We also include a literature review on the management of subglottic stenosis in pregnancy.