Repeated postoperative laryngeal obstruction due to bilateral cricoarytenoid joint involvement in rheumatoid arthritis.

A 61-year-old woman with a 40-year history of severe rheumatoid arthritis developed postoperative laryngeal obstruction twice; the first episode occurred just after surgery for cervical myelopathy and the second episode occurred 3 weeks after surgery when physiotherapy activity increased. A flexible laryngeal endoscopy demonstrated that abduction of the bilateral vocal cords was severely disturbed at the paramedian position, suggesting a diagnosis of cricoarytenoid arthritis. Early administration of corticosteroids was successful.