Nasolaryngoscopy or laryngotracheoscopy: which is the best exam for assessing the airways of children?
It is not uncommon to find children with respiratory distress. In these cases airway endoscopy is usually required. Doubts about which examination should be used are frequent.


OBJECTIVE
to establish which examination is the best to assess the airways of children.


METHODS
a retrospective study assessing 16 children with a history of respiratory distress at the Children Airway Unit of the Pediatric Otolaryngology Department at UNICAMP. All patients underwent nasolaryngoscopy and laryngotracheoscopy between March 2001 and March 2004. Data was analyzed and compared.


RESULTS
during this study 16 children were assessed; the most frequent indication of exams were: evaluation of prolonged tracheostomy in 10 patients (62%), and subglottic stenosis (31.3%).


CONCLUSIONS
assessing airways in children with respiratory distress is essential for a diagnosis. In our study, we concluded that all children with upper airway disease must undergo nasolaryngoscopy, an easy, economic and useful exam that provides information about larynx function. However, if subglottic or traqueal disease issuspected, or if nasolaryngoscopy findings are in conflict with the physical examination, laryngotracheoscopy should be undertaken.
Lehoczki
Clarissa Luciana Buono
CL
Pediatric Otorhinoloaryngology Unit, UNICAMP, São Paulo, Brazil.
Carvalho
Daniela
D
Tah Yen Ng
Ronny
R
Gusmão
Reinaldo Jordão
RJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004487:Edema / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D005931:Glottis / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007828:Laryngoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014135:Tracheal Stenosis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014139:Tracheostomy