title: The presentation and management of laryngeal cleft: a 10-year experience.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review the presentation and associated congenital abnormalities of laryngeal cleft and present guidelines for its evaluation and management.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 10-year retrospective study (1994-2004) with institutional review board approval.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two pediatric tertiary care medical centers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-two pediatric patients (mean age, 21 months) with laryngeal cleft.
  
  
  METHODS
  Surgical repair of laryngeal cleft.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sex, age, symptoms, other associated abnormalities, method of evaluation, type of laryngeal cleft, method of surgical repair, treatment outcome, complications, and long-term follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All 22 patients underwent surgical repair for laryngeal cleft. Airway endoscopy confirmed the following types of laryngeal clefts: type 1 (n = 3), type 2 (n = 10), and type 3 (n = 9). Surgical repair techniques included an open approach with or without interposition graft (n = 16) and an endoscopic approach (n = 6).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Early diagnosis and proper repair of laryngeal cleft are essential to prevent pulmonary damage and associated morbidity. Each patient should be assessed properly, and the surgical approach should be individualized based on the symptoms, other associated findings on airway endoscopy, and type of cleft.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA. reza.rahbar@childrens.harvard.edu
authors.forename: Reza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rahbar
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rouillon
authors.forename: Gilles
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Roger
authors.forename: Aaron
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Roger C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Nuss
authors.forename: Francoise
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Denoyelle
authors.forename: Trevor J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: McGill
authors.forename: Gerald B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Healy
authors.forename: Erea-Noel
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Garabedian
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007818:Laryngeal Diseases / Q000151:congenital* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D007828:Laryngoscopy; D007830:Larynx / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome