Congenital laryngeal stridor secondary to flaccid epiglottis, anomalous accessory cartilages and redundant aryepiglottic folds

Most laryngeal anomalies are supraglottic and laryngomalacia is the most common. Cysts, bifid epiglottis and absence of the epiglottis are uncommon. An 18-year-old Caucasian man had long-standing stridor caused by anomalous supraglottic structures: a small floppy epiglottis, enlarged accessory cartilages and redundant aryepiglottic folds. These structures were excised and the airway was improved. The ventral portions of the fourth arches become the aryepiglottic folds and lateral segments of the epiglottis. A disturbance in this portion of the fourth arch may explain the anomaly. The cartilaginous contributions to the epiglottis were possibly isolated as accessory cartilages. Epiglottic anomalies may be associated with other anomalies, especially the digits of the hand. This patient had a short lingual frenulum and mild macroglossia.