Idiopathic Posterior Glottic Diastasis: A Case Report

Posterior glottic diastasis is usually a sequela of instrumental manipulation of the posterior glottis. We present the first case of idiopathic diastasis of posterior glottis, and its successful management.

This 18-year-old boy with breathy dysphonia was detected to have posterior glottic insufficiency that did not respond to injection medialisation. After a detailed evaluation, which included examination under anesthesia, imaging, and laryngeal electromyography (EMG), he was diagnosed with idiopathic posterior glottic diastasis, an entity that was previously reserved only for those who had posterior glottic instrumentation. He was successfully managed by endoscopic posterior cricoid reduction, with subsequent improvement in voice Probably, a disordered growth of the cricoid during puberty can be hypothesized as the possible cause of posterior glottic diastasis in this case.

Through this case report, we would like to focus on the fact that posterior glottic diastasis can occur even in the absence of iatrogenic insult to the posterior glottis.