Congenital laryngeal cyst: an uncommon cause of stridor in neonates

Laryngeal cyst is a rare but generally benign lesion in the larynx. It may cause stridor and life-threatening airway obstruction in early infancy. We report the case of a neonate who developed respiratory distress 24h after birth in relation with materno-fetal infection. Airway obstruction was then suspected because of stridor. A laryngeal mass was discovered at the time of intubation. The infant experienced a nosocomial infection and died on day 14 of life before any surgical treatment. Autopsy concluded in an epiglottic congenital laryngeal cyst.