Hemorrhagic Hairy Polyp Causing Velopharyngeal Dysfunction in a Newborn

Abstract

Velopharyngeal dysfunction (VPD) can be secondary to anatomic, neurologic, or functional maldevelopment in the pediatric population. We present a case of transient VPD after the removal of a voluminous oropharyngeal hairy polyp in a newborn with an intact palate. This report sensitizes physicians, speech-language pathologists, and occupational therapists not only to the repercussions of oropharyngeal congenital masses, such as hairy polyps, on the feeding mechanisms of a newborn but also to the possibility of conservative management.

Hairy polyps: A new case presentation and a pathogenetic hypothesis

“…Hairy polyps typically present within the first month after birth with obstructive symptoms such as respiratory distress or feeding difficulties. They can also obstruct the eustachian tube orifice leading to a unilateral middle ear effusion or form between palatal shelves causing a cleft palate and velopharyngeal insufficiency …”