Laryngotracheoesophageal cleft. An easily missed malformation.

Laryngotracheoesophageal cleft is a rare congenital anomaly characterized by a midline defect of variable length between the posterior larynx and trachea and the anterior wall of the esophagus. This report concerns the clinical course and follow-up of three patients with this anomaly and a review of the literature. Only one of these patients had a successful repair on the first attempt. The difficulty in making the diagnosis is stressed. This anomaly is associated with a high morbidity and mortality.