[The arthritis of the cricoarytenoid joint, a rare postintubation complication and its novel treatment (author's transl)].

A case of aphonia following a long-time endotracheal intubation is presented. The paramedian position of the left and the incomplete adduction of the right vocal cord were caused by a complete, respectively partial ankylosis of the cricoarytenoid joints. The ankylosis was the result of an arthritis during the intubation period. A nearly normal mobility of the vocal cords and a normal voice was achieved by translaryngeal injections of Fludrocortisone and Hyaluronidase into the cricoarytenoid joints and by their passive mobilisation.