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Paediatric subglottic stenosis - Have things changed? Our experience from a developing tertiary referral centre
Rishi Talwar1, Jagdeep Singh Virk1, Yogesh Bajaj1
1ENT Department, Barts Children's and the Royal London Hospital, United Kingdom.
Insights
Subglottic stenosis (SGS) is a common pediatric airway issue. Endoscopic management is increasingly effective, potentially reducing the need for tracheostomy or laryngotracheal reconstruction in affected children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Otolaryngology
- Pediatric Pulmonology
- Pediatric Critical Care
Background:
- Pediatric airway disorders are prevalent, especially in neonatal intensive care units.
- Current management strategies for subglottic stenosis lack standardization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the incidence, severity, treatment, and outcomes of subglottic stenosis in children.
- To analyze patient data from a developing tertiary referral center.
Main Methods:
- A 19-month prospective longitudinal study.
- Inclusion of all patients undergoing microlaryngobronchoscopy (MLB).
- Intraoperative grading of subglottic stenosis (SGS) using the Myer-Cotton classification.
Main Results:
- 102 patients underwent MLB; 33 (32.4%) were diagnosed with SGS.
- Most SGS cases were Grade 1 (66.7%), with fewer Grade 2 (21.2%) and Grade 3 (12.1%).
- Patients underwent an average of 2.21 MLBs with interventions, including endoscopic procedures, tracheostomy (2/33), and laryngotracheal reconstruction (LTR) (2/33).
Conclusions:
- Subglottic stenosis presentation and management appear to be evolving.
- Endoscopic interventions may reduce the need for tracheostomy or LTR.
- Further long-term prospective studies are warranted to confirm these trends.
Background:
Paediatric airway disorders are common, particularly in the context of improved ventilation methods for neonates in intensive care units. Management is not standardised.
Objectives:
To assess the number, severity, management and outcomes of all patients diagnosed with subglottic stenosis at a developing tertiary referral centre.
Study Design:
19 month prospective longitudinal study.
Study Population:
All patients who underwent microlaryngobronchoscopy (MLB) were included. Subglottic stenosis (SGS) was graded intraoperatively using the Myer-Cotton classification.
Results:
102 patients underwent MLB during this period. 33 of 102 patients (32.4%) were diagnosed with SGS+/-other co-pathologies. Mean and median age at diagnostic procedure were 24.7 months (SD 23.5) and 18 months, respectively. At their first MLB, 22 of 33 patients (66.7%) were found to have a Grade 1 SGS, 7 of 33 (21.2%) were Grade 2 and the remaining 4 of 33 (12.1%) were Grade 3. We had no patients with Grade 4 SGS. During this period, these patients with SGS underwent 73 MLBs+/-interventions (2.21 per patient) such as incision and balloon dilatation, tracheostomy (2 of 33) or ultimately, laryngotracheal reconstruction (LTR) (2 of 33). A further 3 patients have since undergone LTR. No significant unexpected events occurred.
Conclusions:
These findings suggest that subglottic stenosis may be evolving in terms of its presentation and management. Management can more often be endoscopic and perhaps avoid tracheostomy or laryngotracheal reconstruction. Further long term prospective studies are required.
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