[Endoscopy of the respiratory tract in childhood]

Technical developments in the field of pediatric bronchoscopy have expanded the diagnostic possibilities of this procedure while, at the same time making it less invasive: Today, almost all such examinations can be carried out on an outpatient basis and flexible fiberoptic instruments can be used in children who have reached school age with only analgesia and sedation. Technical innovations include endoscopic laser surgery, for example, to treat subglotic hemangiomas even in very young infants and endoluminal balloon dilatation for airway stenoses. These developments have improved and rendered less stressful the diagnosis and treatment of airway stenoses in children.