title: Difficult laryngoscopy/intubation: the child with mandibular hypoplasia.
abstract: The child with mandibular hypoplasia (Treacher Collins syndrome, Pierre Robin sequence, hemifacial microsomia, etc) presents the otolaryngologist and anesthesiologist with considerable problems when direct laryngoscopy and/or endotracheal intubation is attempted. In addition to the small mandible, several other features of these patients contribute to the difficult laryngoscopy: macroglossia, glossoptosis, trismus related to temporomandibular joint abnormalities, and prominent maxilla or maxillary incisors. Most of the techniques that have been described for laryngoscopy/intubation in problem cases are difficult or impossible to use in infants and young children with mandibular hypoplasia. We present a modification of the standard direct laryngoscopic procedure, utilizing the 9-cm anterior commissure laryngoscope and an optical stylet in the task of exposing and intubating the larynx of a child with mandibular hypoplasia.
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D020704:Laryngoscopes; D007828:Laryngoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D010855:Pierre Robin Syndrome / Q000628:therapy*; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000379:methods