Myxoedema presenting with severe laryngeal obstruction.

Introduction Thickening or oedema of the vocal cords and myxoedematous infiltration of the laryngeal submucosa may be responsible for the laryngeal symptoms of myxoedema in some patients, but respiratory difficulty due to laryngeal obstruction is extremely rare as a complication of myxoedema. If, however, upper respiratory tract infection is superimposed on a myxoedematous larynx an acute emergency may be precipitated, as in this patient.