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Updated: Jul 27, 2026

The Rigid Tube as an Alternative in Controlling the Problematic Airway
Published on: June 6, 2020
Hysterical stridor: a diagnosis of exclusion
D S Lund1, G M Garmel, G S Kaplan
1Stanford University/Kaiser Permanente Residency Program in Emergency Medicine, CA.
Abstract:
Two stridorous patients who presented to the emergency department with respiratory distress are discussed. Thorough history, physical examination, and direct visualization of the larynx failed to detect any anatomical upper airway abnormalities; therefore, the etiology of airway obstruction in both patients was determined to be psychogenic. Stridor caused by psychogenic causes is uncommon and, probably, underrecognized. Stridor caused by structural and pathological causes must be considered and excluded before it can be attributed to psychogenic causes, thereby making this a diagnosis of exclusion.
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