Thyroid Cartilage Fracture in a Blunt Cervical Trauma a Case Report

Abstract

Introduction: Laryngotracheal trauma is rare in hospital care and has high morbidity and mortality. Methodology: A 48-year-old man, victim of a car-bycar car accident, was admitted to the emergency room, hemodynamically stable, on spontaneous ventilation, with progressive dysphonia and no laryngeal stridor. Through computed tomography, fracture of the thyroid cartilage in its notch with lateral dislocation was identified. Due to the benign evolution of the condition, a conservative approach was chosen. Results and discussions: There is still no universal algorithm for approaching laryngeal trauma, however all the cervical traumas require a high level of suspicion of laryngeal fracture so that early treatment occurs in order to improve the prognosis and reduce the risk of serious complications for the trauma victim. Conclusion: This report highlights the importance of adequate management and the implementation of a multidisciplinary approach in damage control and conservative treatment of laryngotracheal injury.