Postoperative obstructing laryngeal edema in patients with diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis of cervical spine -A report of two cases-

Two cases were reported in which severe postoperative laryngeal edema were developed after the operation of diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) of cervical spine. In the first case, sudden airway obstruction was developed in the general ward 6 hour after uneventful decompression surgery for osteophyte. In the second patient, an elective preoperative tracheostomy was performed before surgery but the tube could not be removed for 2 months because of laryngeal edema and decreased vocal cord mobility. It should be emphasized that this airway problem can develop during the postoperative as well as the preoperative period, especially in the case of anterior cervical spine surgery.