Case report: Complete laryngotracheal separation sustained from a knife wound

Complete laryngotracheal separation after a clothesline‐type injury: A case report

“…Most case reports opted for primary anastomosis, however, all had problems with granuloma formation and site stenosis. 1,[3][4][5] Unsurprisingly, after laryngotracheal fractures, most patients suffer from vocal fold paralysis. 1,3,5 In our case, the patient had bilateral paralysis.…”

“…Since only case reports regarding CLS are available, there is little research into whether primary or secondary anastomosis is more beneficial in long term. Most case reports opted for primary anastomosis, however, all had problems with granuloma formation and site stenosis 1,3–5 …”

“…Cricothyroidotomy in CLS serves little purpose, moreover, it can complete a partial laryngotracheal separation, and was attempted in only one case report 2 . If possible, Schaefer recommended tracheostomy as a first‐choice intervention 1,5 …”

“…Ecchymosis, loss of thyroid prominence, and tracheal or laryngeal deviation are the signs of laryngeal trauma, which can be variable. The presence of subcutaneous emphysema should be telltale sign that there is a disruption of the airway integrity 1–5 …”

“…Severe laryngeal injury is rare – it accounts <1% of all trauma cases and is usually associated with high‐velocity traumas 1–3,5 . Depending on the severity, laryngeal injuries are classified by the Schaefer Classification System 1,3 .…”