title: [Etiology of acute upper respiratory tract obstruction in infants: analysis of 12 cases].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the etiology of acute upper respiratory tract obstruction in infants.
  
  
  METHODS
  The medical data of 12 infants with acute upper respiratory tract obstruction were retrospectively reviewed. The patients received the examinations of laryngoscopy and CT scans for larynx and lungs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All of the 12 infants presented with laryngeal stridor. Eight infants (67%) were diagnosed as congenital simple laryngeal stridor before admission. Based on the clinical features, laboratory examinations, imaging examinations and laryngoscopy, 4 (33%) were definitely diagnosed with thyroglossal ductal cyst, 1(8%) with abscess-emphysema in the posterior wall of pharynx, 1(8%) with cervicallymphangioma, 2 (16%) with subglottic stenosis, and 4 (33%) with acute laryngitis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Acute upper respiratory tract obstruction is easily misdiagnosed in infants. Thyroglossal duct cyst is a common cause of upper respiratory tract obstruction/laryngeal stridor. It is recommend that laryngoscopy and CT scans for larynx should be performed in infants with laryngeal stridor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang 110004, China. lijiujun@21cn.com
authors.forename: Jiu-Jun
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Chun-Feng
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007828:Laryngoscopy; D007829:Laryngostenosis / Q000151:congenital / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed