Cicatricial stenosis of the larynx is looked on as one of the most difficult and unsatisfactory conditions with which the laryngologist must deal. As the cause has an important bearing on the extent of tissue necrosis and, therefore, on the amount of scar formation, a brief discussion of the etiologic factors will be proper at this time.
Infection is, of course, the direct cause of death of the tissues, but trauma plays a most important part in keeping up infection and in causing it to spread. The location of scar tissue within the larynx depends, in a large measure, on the cause, and often has an important bearing on the treatment.
Diphtheric infection is distinctly a necrotic process and may cause sloughing of the laryngeal cartilages. This tendency probably is augmented by additional mixed infection, i.e., infection with streptococci and staphylococci. These organisms also may cause similar lesions, in