Affiliation:
1. Department of ENT, Bai Jerbai Wadia Hospital for Children, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India,
Abstract
Neonatal nasal obstruction may present as an acute respiratory emergency. Neonates primarily are obligate nasal breathers. Hence, any nasal obstruction whether arising due to skeletal or anatomical anomalies or due to nasal mass or cyst can present with cyanosis, stridor, feeding problems, and/or failure to thrive. Although choanal atresia remains one of the most diagnosed nasal anatomical anomalies leading to this problem; other rare causes of neonatal nasal obstruction, namely, midnasal stenosis, pyriform aperture stenosis, congenital nasal mass, or cyst should also be considered. Hence, a thorough evaluation with diagnostic nasal endoscopy along with an imaging modality (computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging) is warranted. Management whether conservative or surgical intervention is guided by the severity and nature of the symptoms. This series highlights our experience of four different case scenarios of respiratory distress arising out of nasal anatomical anomalies and its subsequent management and outcome.