Exercise-induced laryngeal obstruction: a rarely recognized cause of exercise-induced dyspnea. Two case reports

Abstract

Introduction: Exercise-induced laryngeal obstruction (EILO) is a transient and reversible narrowing of the larynx in response to intense physical effort. The clinical picture of EILO often resembles those of asthma or exercise induced bronchospasm. The gold standard in EILO diagnostics is nasofiberoscopic examination during intense exercise (CLE).Case Description: We present two clinical cases of athletes initially treated for asthma who were diagnosed with EILO after CLE. This allowed the initiation of phoniatric rehabilitation and initial improvement of exercise tolerance.