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Emerg Med J 2007;24:505-506 doi:10.1136/emj.2007.048355
  • Emergency casebook

Isolated cricoid fracture associated with blunt neck trauma

  1. Je Hyeok Oh,
  2. Hyun Seok Min,
  3. Tae Ung Park,
  4. Sang Jin Lee,
  5. Sung Eun Kim
  1. Emergency Department, Chung-Ang University Hospital, Seoul, Korea
  1. Correspondence to:
 Dr S E Kim
 Emergency Department, Chung-Ang University Hospital, 224-1 Heukseok-dong, Dongjak-gu, Seoul 156-755, Korea; emkse{at}cau.ac.kr
  • Accepted 13 March 2007

Abstract

A 32-year-old woman without a remarkable history presented at the emergency department with strangulation of the neck. CT scans of the neck revealed a displaced cricoid fracture. Six days after admission to hospital, hoarseness and dyspnoea disappeared. On the 10th day, the patient was discharged without complications. The traditional treatment guidelines for laryngeal trauma have recommended an early surgical intervention after immediate tracheotomy in cases of displaced fractures of the cricoid cartilage. The patient could be treated successfully through continuous monitoring of airway obstruction without surgical management.

Footnotes

  • Competing interests: None declared.

  • Informed consent has been obtained from the patient for publication of her details in this paper.

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