Iatrogenic uvular necrosis after general anaesthesia

We report the case of a mid-30s parturient who presented with sore throat and dysphagia a day after undergoing laparoscopic right ovarian cystectomy under general anaesthesia. The procedure of intubation and extubation was straightforward and there were no complications in the airway intraoperatively. However, when she awoke the next day, she noticed white discolouration at the inferior portion of her uvula but no oral discharge or bleeding was appreciated. She was discharged on analgesics. Within a few days, she noted improvement of her symptoms and on the 28th day post-surgery, the mucosal changes had resolved though her uvula appeared shorter than before and her symptoms had fully recovered. This rare complication should be included in the differentials of persisting sore throat after oral instrumentation. Also, supportive management of the symptoms and reassurance form the key parts of the management since signs and symptoms spontaneously resolve within 14 days.