Pediatric endoscopy: a review of 616 cases

Congenital and acquired lesions of the pediatric airway may lead to significant morbidity and mortality. A review of 616 endoscopic procedures, carried out over a 2-year period, was undertaken. Of these procedures, 270 were diagnostic and 346 were therapeutic. This paper outlines the clinical indications, the role of radiology, and the diagnoses revealed by this retrospective review. Of particular interest was the fact that 11.5% of the patients had lesions in more than one anatomic site in the upper aerodigestive tract. The complications were divided into intraoperative, immediate postoperative, and delayed. In total, there was a 1.6% complication rate.