Management of pediatric laryngeal webs secondary to severe croup and traumatic intubation

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Otolaryngology
• Respiratory Medicine
• Critical Care

Background:

• Laryngotracheobronchitis is a common viral infection, but severe cases require emergent intubation.
• Intubation in inflamed airways increases the risk of laryngeal trauma.
• Pediatric laryngeal webs are a rare but serious complication.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report two cases of pediatric laryngeal web formation following emergent intubation for laryngotracheobronchitis.
• To describe a novel endoscopic technique for treating laryngeal webs using keel placement.

Main Methods:

• Two children with acute respiratory distress due to viral laryngotracheobronchitis underwent emergent intubation.
• Following intubation, both children developed anterior laryngeal webs.
• Laryngoplasty with endoscopic keel placement was performed for treatment.

Main Results:

• The endoscopic keel placement procedure resulted in the resolution of laryngeal webs in both pediatric patients.
• This demonstrates the efficacy of the novel technique in managing this rare complication.

Conclusions:

• Pediatric laryngeal web formation is a rare complication of traumatic intubation for severe laryngotracheobronchitis.
• Endoscopic keel placement offers a novel and effective treatment for pediatric laryngeal webs.