Management of Congenital Buccopharyngeal Membrane

Abstract

Objective: To describe our experience in treating congenital buccopharyngeal membranes and reflect on lessons learned managing this rare anomaly. Design: Case series of two patients followed 3 and 6 years, respectively. Setting: Two different academic tertiary-care medical centers. Patients: Two patients with congenital buccopharyngeal membranes. Intervention: Multiple pharyngoplasties, including the use of lasers, rotated mucosal flaps, and oropharyngeal stents. Results: The first patient has had her tracheotomy removed, but she still uses a gastrostomy tube and has an expressive speech delay. The second patient can eat well but has persistent speech and airway problems, largely due to his micrognathia. Conclusions: Centrally dehiscent buccopharyngeal membranes are rare and require carefully planned treatment. Associated anomalies worsen the prognosis. We propose a set of recommendations to assist in the management of this difficult problem.