Hemorrhagic hairy polyp causing velopharyngeal dysfunction in a newborn

Abstract

Velopharyngeal dysfunction (VPD) can be secondary to anatomic, neurologic, or functional maldevelopment in the pediatric population. We present a case of transient VPD after the removal of a voluminous oropharyngeal hairy polyp in a newborn with an intact palate. This report sensitizes physicians, speech-language pathologists, and occupational therapists not only to the repercussions of oropharyngeal congenital masses, such as hairy polyps, on the feeding mechanisms of a newborn but also to the possibility of conservative management.