Acute airway obstruction secondary to vocal fold heterotopic ossification.

A 29-year old man of Eritrean origin presented with acute stridor and respiratory distress on a background 1 year history of progressive breathing difficulty and worsening inspiratory stridor. Fibreoptic laryngoscopy revealed an indeterminate swelling of the left vocal fold leaving no clear airway visible. The patient refused surgical tracheostomy. Microlaryngoscopy revealed a hard, calcified mass arising from the left cord preventing intubation. Histological analysis after excision revealed features consistent with heterotopic ossification. At 4 months repeat microlaryngoscopy was performed revealing normal appearance of the larynx and subglottis. Heterotopic ossification in the larynx is a very rare condition that presents a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. In the first documented case in the larynx, we describe how the disease caused life threatening airway obstruction, but was managed in a way that led to preservation of laryngeal function and complete resolution of the condition.