Related Experiment Videos
[Functional obstruction of the upper airway]
G C Montiel1, S A Quadrelli, G B Semeniuk
1Instituto de Investigaciones Médicas Alfredo Lanari, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires.
Medicina
|January 1, 1994
Summary
Emotional stress can cause laryngeal wheezing, often misdiagnosed as asthma. This case report highlights a patient successfully treated for emotional laryngeal wheezing with alprazolam and psychotherapy, avoiding unnecessary asthma medications.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonology
- Psychiatry
- Laryngology
Background:
- Laryngeal wheezing due to emotional stress is frequently misdiagnosed as asthma.
- This misdiagnosis leads to treatments like bronchodilators and corticosteroids, potentially causing iatrogenic Cushing's syndrome.
Observation:
- A patient presenting with symptoms initially suspected as bronchial asthma underwent physiological and endoscopic evaluations.
- These studies excluded asthma and any organic airway obstruction.
- Flow-volume loops showed tidal volume displacement, and fiberoptic bronchoscopy revealed inspiratory vocal cord adduction.
Findings:
- The patient was diagnosed with emotional laryngeal wheezing.
- Treatment with bronchodilators was discontinued.
- The patient received alprazolam and psychotherapy, remaining symptom-free during a one-year follow-up.
Implications:
- Emotional laryngeal wheezing can mimic asthma symptoms.
- Accurate diagnosis is crucial to avoid ineffective and potentially harmful treatments.
- Psychological interventions combined with discontinuation of unnecessary medications can effectively manage this condition.