Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 3, 2026
Image Acquisition using Portable Sonography for Emergency Airway Management
Published on: September 28, 2022
A pilot feasibility study of awake laryngeal ultrasonography in children
C Shan1, T Sagardoy1, A Soualhi1
1Service d'oto-rhino-laryngologie et chirurgie cervico-faciale, centre hospitalo-universitaire de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France.
Background:
Flexible nasal laryngoscopy is the gold standard examination for laryngeal assessment, but can be uncomfortable, poorly tolerated or even refused by children. Ultrasonography is non-invasive and well-tolerated and could provide an alternative. Data in children, however, are scarce.
Aims:
To assess the feasibility of in-office ultrasonography in children for the identification of laryngeal structures using reference imaging planes, and to determine factors influencing examination quality.
Material And Methods:
A single-center non-interventional prospective pilot feasibility study of a diagnostic tool was conducted in children aged 0 to 15 years. Ultrasonographic images were evaluated by the performing operator and by a second blinded observer using recorded sequences. Qualitative data and inter-rater agreement were expressed as percentages. Association was assessed by logistic regression, with the significance threshold set at 1%.
Results:
One hundred and forty children were included. The 5 ultrasound planes - axial glottic, subglottic and tracheal, and sagittal median and paramedian - allowed visualization of the thyroid, cricoid and arytenoid cartilage and vocal fold mobility in more than 95% of cases for both assessors. Age and gender effects differed between assessors, while BMI showed no significant effect. Calcification foci, without posterior acoustic shadowing, did not interfere with structural analysis.
Conclusion:
We demonstrated the feasibility of pediatric laryngeal ultrasonography using 5 reference planes, enabling visualization of laryngeal structures regardless of calcifications.
