Myhre-LAPs syndrome and intubation related airway stenosis: keys to diagnosis and critical therapeutic interventions

Objectives Myhre-LAPS syndrome is a recently recognized disease caused by a mutation in the SMAD4 gene. This results in a range of pathology including laryngotracheal stenosis, arthropathy, prognathism and short stature, or LAPS syndrome. We aim to delineate the role of intubation in development of airway stenosis in these patients as well as provide insight into diagnosis and management of this syndrome. Herein we present four patients with Myhre-LAPS syndrome complicated by airway stenosis and perform a systematic review of all cases of Myhre-LAPS syndrome with reported airway pathology. Study design Retrospective review Methods All patients diagnosed with Myhre-LAPS syndrome and airway stenosis at a single institution from 1981 to 2014 were reviewed. Results Four patients (4F, median age 42) were identified that met inclusion criteria. Initial presenting signs included progressive shortness of breath, dyspnea on exertion and respiratory distress. All four (100%) patients had multi-level airway stenosis most commonly in the subglottic and glottic regions and all patients had undergone at least one endotracheal intubation prior to presentation. One patient with a history of nasal tracheal intubation presented with nasal obstruction and was found to have choanal as well as subglottic stenosis. Two of the four (50%) patients are tracheostomy tube dependent, 1/4 (25%) died of a fatal cardiac arrhythmia and 1/4 (25%) has had 6 endoscopic treatments for subglottic stenosis in 4 years with rapid symptom recurrence. Conclusions Myhre-LAPS syndrome is characterized by progressive systemic fibrosis and patients are diagnosed by characteristic findings of prognathism, short stature, abnormal facies, and thick skin among other abnormalities. Airway management is complicated by recurrent, refractory subglottic stenosis often preceded by elective intubation as well as maxillary hypoplasia, trismus, and limited neck extension. Endotracheal intubation and surgical intervention should be approached with caution in these patients and multidisciplinary care teams are necessary to address all manifestations of this syndrome.