Exercise-induced laryngochalasia:: an imitator of exercise-induced bronchospasm

Background: Patients with exercise-induced laryngochalasia present with dyspnea and strider during exercise. Symptoms are due to a subtotal occlusion of the larynx resulting from mucosal edema from the aryepiglottic folds being drawn into the endolarynx. Methods: We report on three patients with exercise-induced bronchospasm, refractory to standard therapy. Results: Spirometry with flow-volume loops revealed truncation of the inspiratory limb. Abnormal movement of the arytenoid region was visualized on laryngoscopy. A diagnosis of exercise-induced laryngochalasia was made. Conclusions: Evaluation of laryngeal motion in patients with refractory exercise-induced bronchospasm is important. Surgical correction with laser laryngoplasty is effective in carefully selected cases.