Unilateral vocal cord paralysis due to meningoencephalitis in a pediatric patient

Abstract

Vocal cord palsies in the setting of meningoencephalitis are extremely rare but have been reported in adults. Here we present a 2-year-old female with viral meningoencephalitis who was intubated for airway protection due to status epilepticus and developed post-extubation stridor and hoarseness. On flexible laryngoscopy, she was found to have a left unilateral vocal cord paralysis. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed hyperintensity in the dorsal medulla in the region of the vagal nerve nucleus. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of pediatric vocal cord paralysis due to viral meningoencephalitis with associated inflammation of the medulla.

Keywords

• Stridor
• Vocal cord paralysis
• Pediatrics
• Meningoencephalitis
• Viral