Delayed presentation of a large congenital laryngeal cleft in an adult

Laryngeal clefts are rare congenital malformations of the posterior laryngotracheal wall that lead to an abnormal communication between the airway and pharyngo-oesophageal tract. The condition is almost universally identified during infancy with minor laryngeal clefts very rarely diagnosed in adulthood. We present our tertiary centre’s experience of a large laryngeal cleft presenting at an advanced age, with the aim of increasing awareness of this correctible cause of respiratory distress and aspiration in adults.