Neonatal pharyngeal perforation diagnosed by xenon 133 imaging

A premature male infant developed bilateral pneumothorax and generalized subcutaneous emphysema following difficult intubation. Xenon 133 imaging revealed accumulation of radionuclide in those areas of subcutaneous emphysema indicating a large air leak from the upper respiratory tract. Pharyngeal injury was confirmed at endoscopy. Imaging with (133)Xe may offer a means of rapid diagnosis of airway injury.