Laryngotracheal Injuries at a Glance: Review

Abstract

Objective: Laryngotracheal trauma is a rare but clinically important injury. These injuries may be accidental, suicidal or homicidal. Complications are frequent. Early recognition, accurate evaluation and proper treatment is essential to decrease morbidity among affected individuals and avoidance of complications.Methods: Patients with external laryngotracheal injuries were analyzed retrospectively in a tertiary care centre. The outcome was assessed both in terms of voice and airway with regular follow up for 2 years. Results:The most common cause of injury is cut throat injuries followed by road traffic accidents. The main presenting symptoms and signs are hoarseness, haemoptysis, odynophagia and stridor in major injuries. Various sites of cut throat injury are of laryngeal framework i.e. thyroid cartilage, mixed soft tissue, cartilaginous injuries, thyrohyoid membrane, aryepiglottic fold and cricothyroid membrane. Patients with minor injuries, and patients with major injuries managed with early surgical intervention had better outcomes. Poor result was seen in patients with delayed surgical intervention. Conclusion:Laryngotracheal trauma remains a clinically important injury requiring careful assessment with prompt recognition of injuries. Early surgical intervention with multidisciplinary approach is recommended for all major injuries to ensure a good outcome.