Laser aryepiglottoplasty for the treatment of neurasthenic laryngomalacia in cerebral palsy.

Patients with cerebral palsy usually suffer from lack of coordination in the neuromuscular mechanism in their upper airway and digestive tract. Difficulty in swallowing and aspiration are common problems in these patients, and stridorous breathing sometimes develops as a secondary symptom. Laryngoscopic examination revealed that redundant tissue in the aryepiglottic fold area was the cause of stridor and upper airway obstruction in four patients with cerebral palsy. We report on these four patients in whom laser reduction of the redundant mucosa led to dramatic improvements in stridor. Secondary benefits to family members and others were equally impressive.