A variant of laryngomalacia in the neurologically normal older child

Laryngomalacia is the most common cause of stridor in infancy. It is generally considered to be a fairly benign condition necessitating surgical intervention in relatively few cases. It resolves by the age of 4 years in the majority of children. We present three cases in which laryngomalacia persisted and actually worsened in later childhood and postulate a possible mechanism for this.