Cardiovascular operation: A significant risk factor of arytenoid cartilage dislocation/subluxation after anesthesia

Incidence and Risk Factors of Arytenoid Dislocation Following Endotracheal Intubation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Endotracheal intubation carries risks, including arytenoid dislocation (AD), a rare but severe complication. Due to small sample sizes, the incidence of AD varies considerably among studies. Proposed risk factors for AD include difficult intubation, prolonged intubation, certain surgeries, patient positioning, female sex, and BMI. This review aims to investigate the incidence of AD and explore the various predisposing risk factors. We retrieved relevant studies up to April 2024 from PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library. Using OpenMeta v5.26.14 software (Institute for Clinical Research and Health Policy Studies at Tufts Medical Center, Boston, USA), we pooled AD incidence rates from individual studies. Other outcomes, reported in fewer studies and thus not suitable for meta-analysis, were synthesized manually. Study selection yielded 16 eligible articles. A random-effects model analysis of nine studies found a significant AD incidence rate of 0.093% (confidence interval (CI): 0.045% to 0.14%), but the results were highly heterogeneous (I2 = 91%). Older age was associated with prolonged hoarseness, while younger age and female sex increased the risk of AD. Additionally, AD risk factors included taller stature, higher BMI, specific surgeries, esophageal instrumentation, prolonged procedure durations, head-neck movement, and inexperienced intubators. However, intubation with a stylet reduced the AD risk. AD post-endotracheal intubation is rare (incidence: 0.09%), with potential underdiagnosis in larger datasets. Many risk factors may contribute to the condition, but the small number of studies per risk factor limits the ability to draw robust conclusions. Subjective diagnoses and retrospective studies further restrict comprehensive understanding. Further research is needed to explore AD risk factors effectively.

Prolonged Tracheal Intubation in the ICU as a Possible Risk Factor for Arytenoid Dislocation After Liver Transplant Surgery: A Retrospective Case-Control Study

BACKGROUND Arytenoid dislocation (AD) is a rare complication of general anesthesia with tracheal intubation, with a published incidence of 0.009-0.097%. This retrospective case-control study aimed to identify risk factors associated with AD in patients who underwent liver transplantation. MATERIAL AND METHODS This study included 476 patients who underwent liver transplantation between January 2013 and December 2022. Patients with AD who underwent surgery were included in the AD group. For each case of AD, 4 patients matched by anesthesia type and anesthetist were randomly selected as the non-AD group. Data on patient characteristics, anesthetic factors, and surgical factors were collected and compared between patients with and without AD. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the risk factors for AD after liver transplantation. RESULTS Of the 476 patients who underwent liver transplantation, 17 (3.57%) had AD. AD occurred on the left side in 13 patients and on the right side in 4 patients. The 17 patients who experienced AD and 68 matched non-AD patients were enrolled. Patients in the AD group had a greater intubation depth (24 [23-24] vs 24 [24-24], P=0.043), a higher level of hemoglobin (134.5 [118-147.5] vs 112 [96.25-125], P=0.014), and prolonged tracheal intubation in the ICU (19.75 [15.87-31.87] vs 13 [10.62-15], P<0.001) compared to those in the non-dislocation group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that prolonged tracheal intubation in the ICU was independently associated with the occurrence of AD in patients who underwent liver transplantation (P=0.013). CONCLUSIONS This study showed that the incidence of AD was 3.57% in patients undergoing liver transplant surgery and that prolonged tracheal intubation in the ICU was a possible risk factor for AD.

Hoarseness and arytenoid dislocation: A rare complication after facial bony contouring surgery

BACKGROUND

Arytenoid dislocation is a rare complication after endotracheal intubation and may result in permanent hoarseness, which cannot be tolerated during cosmetic surgeries, such as facial bony contouring surgery. This study aimed to identify the clinical characteristics of this patient subgroup and share the process of diagnosis and treatment.

METHODS

We retrospectively collected the medical records of patients who underwent facial bony contouring surgery under general anesthesia with endotracheal intubation from September 2017 to July 2022. We divided the patients into a nondislocation group and a dislocation group. Demographic, anesthetic, and surgical characteristics were collected and compared.

RESULTS

441 patients were enrolled, and 5 (1.1%) were diagnosed with arytenoid dislocation. The patients in the dislocation group were more likely to be intubated with the video laryngoscope (P = 0.049), and head-neck movement during surgery may predispose patients to arytenoid dislocation (P = 0.019). The patients in the dislocation group were diagnosed around 5-37 days after surgery. Three of them regained their normal voice after close reduction, and two recovered with speech therapy.

CONCLUSION

Arytenoid dislocation may result from multiple factors instead of one high-risk factor. Head-neck movement, the skills and experience of anesthetists, the time of intubation, and the use of intubation tools may all predispose patients to arytenoid dislocation. To acquire timely diagnosis and treatment, patients should be fully informed of this complication before surgery and observed closely afterward. Any postoperative voice or laryngeal symptoms lasting more than 7 days need a specialist evaluation.

High prevalence of postoperative arytenoid dislocation in patients undergoing liver transplantation: A case-control study

Arytenoid dislocation (AD) is a rare complication of surgery under general anesthesia. The potential factors for AD remain poorly defined, and the identification of risk factors is beneficial for reducing its incidence. We found that patients undergoing liver transplantation appeared to be more susceptible to postoperative AD at our hospital. The present study was designed to clarify this issue. A retrospective hospital-based case-control study was conducted in patients undergoing surgery under general anesthesia between 2017 and 2021. Recorded data for all patients were age, sex, body weight, height, body mass index, position of patients during surgery, duration of surgery, emergency status of surgery, and liver transplantation. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine risk factors for AD. Thirty thousand one hundred fifty-four patients who underwent general anesthesia between 2017 and 2021 were included. Sixteen (0.05%) patients were diagnosed with AD, including 10 (3.9%) patients among 259 patients who underwent liver transplantation and 6 patients had complications among the 29,895 patients who underwent other operations (P < .0001). Postoperative AD incidence was significantly elevated in patients undergoing liver transplantation. This finding should be clinically relevant and alarming for anesthesiologists and clinicians to help avoid arytenoid dislocation and improve patient outcomes. Further studies that incorporate detailed data are needed to determine risk factors for AD.

Delayed diagnosis of arytenoid cartilage dislocation after tracheal intubation in the intensive care unit: A case report

BACKGROUND

Arytenoid cartilage dislocation is a rare and often overlooked complication of tracheal intubation or blunt laryngeal trauma. The most common symptom is persistent hoarseness. Although cases of arytenoid dislocation due to tracheal intubation are reported more frequently in otolaryngology, reports on its occurrence in the intensive care unit (ICU) are lacking. We report a case of delayed diagnosis of arytenoid cartilage dislocation after tracheal intubation in the ICU.

CASE SUMMARY

A 20-year-old woman was referred to the ICU following a fall from a height. Her voice was normal; laryngeal computed tomography showed unremarkable findings on admission. However, due to deterioration of the patient’s condition, tracheal intubation, and emergency exploratory laparotomy followed by laparoscopic surgery two d later under general anesthesia were performed. After extubation, the patient was sedated and could not communicate effectively. On the 10^th day after extubation, the patient complained of hoarseness and coughing with liquids, which was attributed to laryngeal edema and is common after tracheal intubation. Therefore, specific treatment was not administered. However, the patient’s symptoms did not improve. Five d later, an electronic laryngoscope examination revealed dislocation of the left arytenoid cartilage. The patient underwent arytenoid closed reduction under general anesthesia by an experienced otolaryngologist. Reported symptoms improved subsequently. The six-month follow up revealed that the hoarseness had resolved within four weeks of the reduction procedure.

CONCLUSION

Symptoms of arytenoid cartilage dislocation are difficult to identify in the ICU leading to missed or delayed diagnosis among patients.

Head-neck movement may predispose to the development of arytenoid dislocation in the intubated patient: a 5-year retrospective single-center study

Background

Arytenoid dislocation is a rare laryngeal injury that may follow endotracheal intubation. We aimed to determine the incidence and risk factors for arytenoid dislocation after surgery under general anaesthesia.

Methods

We reviewed the medical records of patients who underwent operation under general anaesthesia with endotracheal intubation from January 2014 to December 2018. Patients were divided into the non-dislocation and dislocation groups depending on the presence or absence of arytenoid dislocation. Patient, anaesthetic, and surgical factors associated with arytenoid dislocation were determined using Poisson regression analysis.

Results

Among the 25,538 patients enrolled, 33 (0.13%) had arytenoid dislocation, with higher incidence after anterior neck and brain surgery. Patients in the dislocation group were younger (52.6 ± 14.4 vs 58.2 ± 14.2 yrs, P = 0.025), more likely to be female (78.8 vs 56.5%, P = 0.014), and more likely to be intubated by a first-year anaesthesia resident (33.3 vs 18.5%, P = 0.048) compared to those in the non-dislocation group. Patient positions during surgery were significantly different between the groups (P = 0.000). Multivariable Poisson regression identified head-neck positioning (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 3.10; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.50–6.25, P = 0.002), endotracheal intubation by a first-year anaesthesia resident (IRR, 2.30; 95% CI, 1.07–4.64, P = 0.024), and female (IRR, 3.05; 95% CI, 1.38–7.73, P = 0.010) as risk factors for arytenoid dislocation.

Conclusion

This study showed that the incidence of arytenoid dislocation was 0.13%, and that head-neck positioning during surgery, less anaesthetist experience, and female were significantly associated with arytenoid dislocation in patients who underwent surgeries under general anaesthesia with endotracheal intubation.

[Clinical outcomes of vocal fold immobility after tracheal intubation]

OBJECTIVE

To assess the incidence of postoperative vocal cord immobility in patients following endotracheal intubation underwent general anesthesia.

METHODS

We retrospectively enrolled patients who underwent surgical procedures with endotracheal intubation under general anesthesia from January 2014 to December 2018 in Peking University First Hospital. Demographic and treatment data were obtained for patients with hoarseness and vocal cord fixation. The incidence of postoperative hoarseness and vocal cord fixation were presented and clinical outcomes were further analyzed.

RESULTS

A total of 85 998 patients following tracheal intubation and general anesthesia were enrolled in this study. Hoarseness was observed in 222 (0.26%) patients postoperatively. Sixteen patients (73%) were accomplished with symptoms of choking on water, dysphonia and sore throat. Twenty-nine patients with persistent hoarseness on the third postoperative day needed further treatment by otolaryngologists. Among them, seven patients had pharyngolaryngitis and twenty-two patients (0.026%) were demonstrated postoperative vocal cord immobility. There were seventeen patients (77%) with left-side vocal cord fixation and five patients (23%) with right-side vocal cord fixation. Nine patients were identified with arytenoid dislocation. Seven patients had left vocal cord fixation and two patients had right-side vocal cord fixation. Seven patients were intubated under the guidance of visual laryngoscope. One patient was confirmed difficult airway and intubated with light wand. One patient was inserted with laryngeal mask airway. One patient was suspected to have hoarseness caused by gastric tube before anesthesia. One patient showed simultaneously left recurrent laryngeal nerve abnormality on laryngeal electromyography result. The symptom of hoarseness ranged between 6 and 31 days. Three patients underwent closed reduction under local anesthesia and one patient demonstrated spontaneous recovery. Among the remaining thirteen patients with vocal cord immobility, two patients were demonstrated vocal cord paralysis. Eleven patients underwent neck surgery, thyroid surgery and cardiothoracic surgery and further examinations including laryn-geal electromyography and computed tomography help to determine the diagnosis were not performed. All patients were treated with inhaled corticosteroid conservatively. Five patients had significant improvement of symptom and almost regained normal voice. One patient had slight improvement and sixteen patients were not relieved before discharge.

CONCLUSION

Patients with hoarseness and vocal fold immobility after endotracheal intubation should be treated properly and immediately.

Current management of arytenoid sub-luxation and dislocation

PURPOSE

To review the current management of arytenoid subluxation/dislocation (AS/AD) focusing on diagnostic, therapeutic, and prognostic controversies.

METHODS

The international literature of the last 20 years has been considered. After the application of inclusion criteria, 20 studies were selected (471 AS/AD cases in total).

RESULTS

All the included investigations were retrospective case series. AS/AD was often iatrogenic occurring at least in 0.01% of patients undergone endo-tracheal intubation. The most common symptom was persistent hoarseness. The diagnosis was made by video-laryngoscopy and neck computed tomography in most reports, while some used also laryngeal electromyography. Laryngeal electromyography was fundamental to rule out unilateral vocal fold paralysis, the main differential diagnosis. The surgical relocation of AS/AD under general or local anesthesia was achieved in about 80% of patients.

CONCLUSION

AS/AD is a mechanical disorder of the larynx that can be successfully treated if promptly diagnosed. Clinical trials and multi-centric studies are necessary to set management guidelines.