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Upper airway abnormalities detected in children using flexible bronchoscopy

Levent Midyat1, Erkan Çakır, Arif Kut

  • 1Department of Pediatric Pulmonology, Sureyyapasa Chest Diseases and Thoracic Surgery Training and Investigation Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey. midyatlev@yahoo.com

International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology
|February 11, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Pediatric flexible bronchoscopy frequently reveals upper airway malacia disorders, which are the most common finding. Early diagnosis of these congenital and acquired abnormalities can prevent unnecessary long-term treatments for chronic respiratory issues in children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Airway Endoscopy
  • Respiratory Distress

Background:

  • Upper airway obstruction requires rapid anatomical evaluation to determine severity and respiratory distress.
  • Airway endoscopy is crucial for both diagnosing and treating pediatric airway conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To document upper airway abnormalities detected during flexible bronchoscopy in pediatric patients.
  • To analyze findings from two major Turkish pediatric pulmonology centers.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of 1076 pediatric cases with pulmonary/airway disease.
  • Flexible bronchoscopy performed between 2007 and 2011.

Main Results:

  • Upper airway malacia disorders were the most common finding (79.6%).
  • Other frequent pathologies included laryngeal edema (12.9%), external tracheal compression (12.3%), and subglottic stenosis (4.0%).
  • Symptom duration varied significantly by diagnosis, being shortest for vocal cord paralysis.

Conclusions:

  • Congenital and acquired upper airway abnormalities, particularly malacia, should be considered in children with chronic respiratory problems.
  • Prompt diagnosis allows for discontinuation of unnecessary long-term antibiotic or antiasthmatic therapies.
Abstract

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