Acute epiglottitis during pregnancy.

A 26-year-old woman in her third trimester of pregnancy had stridor. Epiglottitis was diagnosed by fiberoptic laryngoscopy. Staphylococcus aureus was the predominant organism isolated from the laryngeal aspirate. Early intubation proved effective in managing this potentially life-threatening disease. Although pharyngitis is the most common cause of sore throat in the adult, acute epiglottitis must be considered in the differential diagnosis when there is unrelenting throat pain and minimal objective signs of pharyngitis. An early diagnosis with aggressive airway management can be life saving to both mother and fetus.