title: Prevalence of laryngomalacia in children presenting with sleep-disordered breathing.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of laryngomalacia among children presenting with symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB).
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective observational study was conducted at a tertiary care paediatric hospital. All children presenting with SDB during a 55-month period were investigated using sleep nasopharyngoscopy (SNP). Patients who had laryngomalacia were identified. Patients who did not present primarily with SDB, or were not examined with SNP were excluded. Data for analysis was collected from a prospectively kept surgical database and medical records. This included patients' demographics, symptoms (including symptoms in infancy), diagnoses, SNP findings, overnight pulse oximetry findings, and treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We identified 358 patients with documented primary diagnosis of SDB and who had undergone SNP. Fourteen of these also had a documented diagnosis of laryngomalacia, giving a prevalence rate of 3.9%. Three children were syndromic, and one had cerebral palsy in addition to SDB and laryngomalacia. Three children were obese, and three children had gastroesophageal reflux disease. Seven cases (50%) had symptoms of snoring and/or swallowing dysfunction and/or stridor in infancy. Twelve patients had adenotonsillar surgery. In eight cases symptoms resolved completely with adenotonsillar surgery only. In total, six patients had a supraglottoplasty. There were three failures to supraglottoplasty.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of laryngomalacia within children presenting with SDB is 3.9%. Our findings support full evaluation of the airway to identify the site of pathology mediating SDB symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Subdivision of Pediatric Otolaryngology, Divisions of Otolaryngology & Pediatric Surgery (Departments of Surgery), The Stollery Children's Hospital and The University of Alberta Hospitals, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: Mahilravi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Thevasagayam
authors.forename: Kirsty
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rodger
authors.forename: Dominic
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cave
authors.forename: Manisha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Witmans
authors.forename: Hamdy
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: El-Hakim
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D055092:Laryngomalacia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes / Q000453:epidemiology*