Nasopharyngeal encephalocele: a rare cause of upper airway obstruction

Nasopharyngeal encephalocele is a rare, benign congenital anomaly. It has the potential to cause fatal airway obstruction. Awareness of the condition can help clinicians arrive at the diagnosis earlier and enhance management. Here, we report on a 34-day-old patient with a nasopharyngeal encephalocele who developed respiratory insufficiency treated by mechanical ventilation secondary to airway obstruction.