Congenital nasal pyriform aperture stenosis 5.7 mm or less is associated with surgical intervention: A pooled case series.

OBJECTIVES

Congenital nasal pyriform aperture stenosis (CNPAS) is a rare cause of upper airway obstruction in the newborn. CNPAS is diagnosed clinically and confirmed with CT scanning. Early diagnosis and management is essential for this potentially life-threatening condition. Patients can be managed conservatively or surgically. Surgical treatment is usually reserved for those patients that fail conservative treatment. Our objective was to provide a radiologically-measured pyriform aperture (PA) width that predicts the need for surgical intervention.

METHODS

This study was a retrospective chart review of patients treated in a tertiary paediatric hospital as well as a review of the literature. Outcome measures were defined as surgical or conservative intervention for the management of congenital pyriform aperture stenosis.

RESULTS

Data from 26 individual patients (7 patients from our own case series and 19 patients from previously published reports) was analysed to calculate those patients requiring surgical intervention.

CONCLUSIONS

A PA width of less than 5.7 mm in a neonate is 88% sensitive and specific in predicting that a patient will require surgical intervention.