Chronic stenosis of the larynx in children.

Severe laryngeal stenosis in children can be corrected successfully with surgery. Re-canalization of the larynx allows for nasal respiration, reduces the danger of respiratory infections, contributes to improved tissue oxygenation, and stimulates the child's psychosomatic development. Contrary to prior otolarngeal approaches to laryngeal stenosis in children, it has been shown that surgery does not hinder the growth of the larynx, but rather stimulates the normalization of laryngeal function; and this function itself stimulates laryngeal skeleton. It is important that surgery be performed as soon as possible in order to avoid an erroneous functional mechanism which is difficult to correct later. This can also lead to chronic irreversible atrophic and fibrotic processes in the laryngeal mucosa.