Isolated bilateral vocal cord paralysis without structural injury following blunt neck trauma: A case report.

Q4 Medicine

Trauma Case Reports Pub Date : 2026-04-25 eCollection Date: 2026-05-01 DOI:10.1016/j.tcr.2026.101337

Amritanshu Saurabh, Milandeep, Vijay Adabala, Pranabh Kushwaha

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background: Bilateral vocal cord paralysis (BVCP) following blunt neck trauma is an exceptionally rare and potentially life-threatening condition. It usually involves structural injuries to the larynx or cervical spine. Isolated BVCP without structural injury is extremely rare. This case demonstrates delayed airway compromise caused by aspiration, rather than fixed glottic obstruction.

Case presentation: We report the case of a young male who sustained a motorcycle accident in which his neck became entangled in barbed wire. He initially developed aphonia without respiratory distress and was admitted to a district hospital, where he remained stable for nine days. On day ten, he developed progressive dyspnoea and was referred to a tertiary centre. Imaging revealed bilateral aspiration changes, while flexible laryngoscopy demonstrated bilateral vocal cord paralysis in the paramedian position. The patient was managed with elective tracheostomy, bilateral intercostal drains, antibiotics, and supportive care. Remarkably, repeat laryngoscopy on day 21 showed complete recovery of cord mobility, and the tracheostomy was successfully decannulated the following day.

Conclusion: Isolated traumatic BVCP is rare and may present with delayed airway compromise due to aspiration. Early airway protection and laryngoscopy are crucial. Recovery may occur with conservative care.

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钝性颈部外伤后无结构性损伤的孤立双侧声带麻痹1例。

背景：钝性颈部外伤后的双侧声带麻痹（BVCP）是一种非常罕见且可能危及生命的疾病。它通常涉及喉或颈椎的结构性损伤。无结构损伤的孤立性BVCP极为罕见。本病例表现为误吸引起的延迟气道损害，而非固定声门梗阻。病例介绍：我们报告的情况下，一个年轻的男性谁持续的摩托车事故中，他的脖子被铁丝网纠缠。他最初出现失音，没有呼吸窘迫，被送往一家地区医院，在那里他保持了9天的稳定。第10天，患者出现进行性呼吸困难，转至第三中心。影像显示双侧吸音改变，而柔性喉镜显示双侧旁位声带麻痹。患者接受择期气管切开术、双侧肋间引流、抗生素和支持性治疗。值得注意的是，第21天的重复喉镜检查显示脐带活动完全恢复，第二天气管切开术成功脱管。结论：孤立的外伤性BVCP是罕见的，可能表现为误吸导致的延迟气道损害。早期气道保护和喉镜检查至关重要。保守治疗可恢复。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Trauma Case Reports Medicine-Emergency Medicine

CiteScore

0.60

自引率

0.00%

发文量

131

审稿时长

26 weeks

期刊介绍： Trauma Case Reports is the only open access, online journal dedicated to the publication of case reports in all aspects of trauma care and accident surgery. Case reports on all aspects of trauma management, surgical procedures for all tissues, resuscitation, anaesthesia and trauma and tissue healing will be considered for publication by the international editorial team and will be subject to peer review. Bringing together these cases from an international authorship will shed light on surgical problems and help in their effective resolution.