Chondronecrosis of the cricoid treated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy: A case series

We present two cases of cricoid chondronecrosis treated with hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) therapy. Both patients presented with biphasic stridor and dyspnea several weeks after an intubation event. Tracheostomy was ultimately performed for airway protection, followed by antibiotic treatment and outpatient HBO2 therapy. Both patients were decannulated within 6 months of presentation and after at least 20 HBO2 therapy sessions. Despite a small sample size, our findings are consistent with data supporting HBO2 therapy’s effects on tissue edema and neovascularization as well as HBO2 potentiation of antibiotic treatment and leukocyte function. We suggest HBO2 therapy may have accelerated airway decannulation by way of infection resolution as well as the revitalization of upper airway tissues, ultimately renewing the structural integrity of the larynx. Physicians should be aware of the potential benefits of HBO2 therapy when presented with this rare but significant clinical challenge.