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Dear list A case has arisen concerning a lady who had Teflon injected into the vocal cords for a cord palsy over a decade ago. The Teflon is now extruding and causing an airway obstruction. The Teflon needs to be removed in a similar way to performing a cordectomy, which is best done using a CO2 laser. However, a paper was published in Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg (Koch et al 1987; 113: 661-4) which showed that exposure of Teflon to the CO2 laser could cause the Teflon to glow. In an oxygen-enriched environment at high power, ignition could occur. The authors suggest use of the laser to incise the mucosa but a non-laser technique to remove the Teflon. Does anyone out there have previous experience of this? Harry Professor Harry Moseley Consultant Clinical Scientist University of Dundee The Photobiology Unit Ninewells Hospital & Medical School Dundee DD1 9SY U.K. Tel. (0)1382 7783272 Fax (0)1382 646047 The University of Dundee is a registered Scottish Charity, No: SC015096