CONGENITAL STRIDOR (STRIDOR CONGENITCS) By the terms, congenital stridor, stridor congenitus, or stridor neonatorum, is meant a rare peculiarity of respiration which may occur immediately or soon after birth. Inspiration is attended by a loud or cackling noise which in increased respiration may also remind one of the sound emitted by a rooster or an excited hen (Thomson). At the same time, inspiration is accompanied by a recession of tbe jugulum and of the epigastrium. Expiration is mostly without any noise. Cya nosis is absent. The general health remains unimpaired. This peculiar inspiration often increases in frequency until the middle of the first year, then gradually diminishes, and usually disappears in the course of the second year. The nasopharyngeal space is normal.
The etiology is obscure and disputed. In sonle of the cases, an anat omical change in the epiglottis has been pointed out, first by Lees in ISS2. The epiglottis is folded in such a manner that the lateral edges touch each other and allow only a small slit of the aryepiglotteal folds, which is still more contracted by the draught of the inspired air. AveIlls,
Hochsinger, and others, regard congenital stridor as a slight stenosis of the trachea., the cause of which they hold to be an hypertrophic thymus, which Hochsinger believes can sometimes be demonstrated by radiography.
By strunta aerea (air-goitre) is meant a very rarely, observed cystic tumor filled with air in the anterior lateral region of the neck, which communicates with the larynx, the trachea (tracheocele), or with the bronchi. The air-goitre develops spontaneously or traumatically, and has been seen in small children even during the first year of life. The air-cyst usually remains small, is soft, disappears (and sometimes crackles) on pressure, and enlarges during crying. It is distinguished by its circumscribed shape from subcutaneous emphysema.