Epiglottitis Associated With Intermittent E-cigarette Use: The Vagaries of Vaping Toxicity

Abstract

An adolescent female patient presenting with subacute onset of dysphagia and hoarseness underwent a direct laryngoscopy, which revealed epiglottitis. After 2 hospitalizations and multiple consultations and biopsies, all infectious testing results for viral, bacterial, fungal, and acid-fast bacilli etiologies were negative. The patient’s use of electronic cigarettes was the only exposure elicited with a likely role in her presentation. This case, combined with the growing body of evidence revealing the toxic effects of vaping and the increasing use of electronic cigarettes among adolescent patients, highlights the many unknowns and risks regarding the biological effects of this practice.