Flexible bronchoscopy as a valuable tool in the evaluation of persistent wheezing in children

Background

Persistent wheezing is a common problem in early childhood and leads to a diagnostic dilemma, excessive investigations, drug administration and additional cost.

Objective

To determine the efficacy and the safety of FOB in children with persistent wheezing despite bronchodilator and inhaled steroid therapy.

Methods

Patients with persistent wheezing that lasted at least 6 weeks and did not respond to bronchodilator and inhaled steroid therapy and to whom flexible bronchoscopy was performed were included to the study.

Results

Between 1997 and 2009; 113 patients were enrolled to the study. Sixty-three percent of the children were male. Median age was 14 months at presentation and median duration of symptoms was 5 months. Bronchoscopy revealed pathological findings in 48% of the patients. Thirty-eight patients had malacia disorders, 14 had foreign body aspiration and two had external compression of airways which were later diagnosed as vascular ring. Major and minor complications were not seen in 92% of the patients while transient hypoxia was seen in 6%, stridor in 1% and tachycardia in 1% of the patients.

Conclusion

Flexible bronchoscopy provided rapid and definitive diagnosis for our patients with persistent wheezing without any major complications. This study is one of the largest studies concerning persistent wheezing. Early bronchoscopic evaluation can reduce cost by providing rapid and accurate diagnosis and preventing unnecessary investigations and drug administration. Flexible bronchoscopy is a safe procedure and should be considered in the evaluation of children with persistent wheezing.     

Flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy and laryngoscopy in infants and children

A pediatric flexible fiberoptic bronchoscope was employed in the examination and/or therapy of 164 infants and children ranging in age from 1 day to 16 years. Ninety-two bronchoscopies and 72 laryngoscopies were performed without any mortality or significant morbidity; 78% of laryngoscopies and 35% of bronchoscopies were performed in children under 2 years of age. The instrument was helpful in terms of diagnosis, as a tool for aspirating secretions and resolving atelectasis, and as a guide for surgical intervention. It is concluded that flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy is a safe procedure in small infants and children and serves as an important aid in the diagnosis and therapy of disorders of the respiratory tract in this age group. However, caution should be expressed in its use in children with compromised ventilation, bradycardia or bleeding diathesis. Moreover, in suspected foreign body aspiration, the rigid-open tube bronchoscopy should be employed.     

Etiology of stridor in infants

OBJECTIVES: We undertook to identify data that facilitate determination of an accurate diagnosis of the cause of stridor in infants and to develop a framework to conceptualize the problem. METHODS: We reviewed medical records of patients less than 1 year of age with the presenting symptom of stridor who were initially evaluated in the outpatient setting of a tertiary children's hospital. Infants with obvious congenital syndromes, cerebral palsy, or hypotonia were excluded. All infants underwent history-taking, physical examination, and when symptoms were mild, office flexible laryngoscopy. With moderate or severe stridor, a more complete endoscopic evaluation was undertaken in the operating room. RESULTS: Of 202 patients, 119 (59%) were boys and 83 (41%) were girls. Their ages ranged from 3 days to 11 months; 175 (87%) were 6 months of age or younger. Congenital anomalies were diagnosed as the cause of stridor in 170 (84%). Congenital laryngeal anomalies caused stridor in 157 (78%); congenital tracheal abnormalities were the cause in 13 (6%). The most common congenital laryngeal anomaly was laryngomalacia (94%). Forty-two (21%) of the 202 patients had at least 1 other anomaly that contributed to airway compromise. Half of all patients had laryngopharyngeal reflux, the most common associated condition. Of patients referred with a presumptive diagnosis by non-otolaryngologists, 28 of 94 (30%) were referred with erroneous presumptive diagnoses for which they were being treated, the most common of which was tracheomalacia. CONCLUSIONS: A standard, rational approach to the evaluation of stridor in infants facilitates management. A framework for evaluation is presented.     

The role of fibreoptic laryngoscopy in infants with stridor

Stridor in infants may be potentially serious and would require further investigations in all cases. Laryngomalacia is the most common cause of congenital stridor. This is a self-limiting condition with a good prognosis but other causes of stridor should be excluded to enable the surgeon to plan further intervention if needed. Traditionally microlaryngoscopy and bronchoscopy under a general anaesthetic is performed to evaluate the airway. We have investigated the use of the flexible fibreoptic laryngoscope under local anaesthetics in infants with inspiratory stridor. The procedure was performed in the day surgery unit on a non-fasting, non-sedated child. A retrospective analysis of procedures performed between January 1998 and August 1999 was carried out. Of the 43 patients studied, laryngomalacia was diagnosed in 35, vocal cord palsies in six and two infants had a normal larynx. There were no complications during the procedure and only one child required further intervention. The results showed that the combination of fibreoptic laryngoscopy under local anaesthetic with follow-up is a safe, effective and cost effective method of assessing stridor in this group of patients.     

Functional evaluation of intraoral reconstructive surgery. A valuable tool: articulatory evaluation of the acoustic signal

Functional tests are needed to assess the quality of reconstructive surgery after treatment of intraoral cancers. Quality of Life tests are subjective and Cinefluoroscopy is a demanding and non-comparative procedure. We develop here a method to test the capacity of patients to maximize use of their articulatory space. We recorded a corpus of sounds. These sounds were analyzed with classical signal processing procedures. By comparison with a non-distorded sound database, it was possible to evaluate speech disorders, localize the defect, and provide a guide for rehabilitation. This method is an objective, reproductible, and comparative measurement tool.     

An approach to stridor in infants and children

Stridor is a clinical sign, common to many disease entities which may compromise the airway. Although stridor may herald a life-threatening condition, most patients have a minor self-limiting condition. Diagnosis based on the character of the stridor alone is tenuous, and consideration of presentation other than the stridor is discussed in the management of these infants.     

Questioning the legitimacy of rigid bronchoscopy as a tool for establishing the diagnosis of a bronchial foreign body

Objectives

Rigid bronchoscopy (RB) is the principal method used for the extraction of a tracheo-bronchial foreign body (FB), but its use as a diagnostic tool implies a certain rate of negative exams, exposing the child to the risk of procedure and anesthesia-related complications. Technological progress has improved the accuracy and availability of non-invasive modalities, such as CT scan and fluoroscopy. Our aim is to review our experience in the routine use of bronchoscopy for a suspected FB aspiration, and evaluate the adequacy of our current attitude in light of these alternatives.

Methods

We performed a retrospective review of cases where bronchoscopy was used in the management of a suspected airway FB, and analysis of the correlation between the clinical and radiological data and the bronchoscopy's results. In addition we reviewed the literature concerning the use of RB and alternative means of diagnosis such as CT scan, fluoroscopy and flexible bronchoscopy.

Results

Thirty-two patients underwent bronchoscopy to rule out a FB aspiration under general anesthesia. No FB was found in 8 cases (25%). Cough and a history of choking were the most sensitive parameters (sensitivity 100% and 80% respectively), but had a low specificity. Stridor was the most specific sign (88% specificity), but was not sensitive. Chest radiography had 25% sensitivity, and 62.5% specificity. Flexible bronchoscopy changed the management in 22% of cases, sparing RB.

Conclusions

Basing the decision to perform RB solely on the clinical findings and chest radiography entails a 25% rate or more of negative exams. CT scan appears to be the most accurate non-invasive tool for ruling out the presence of a FB but its use cannot be systematic due to its complexity and the risks of exposure to radiation. Digital substraction fluoroscopy is a safe and simple mean to confirm the presence of air trapping generated by a bronchial obstruction, but it is not sensitive enough to definitively rule out a FB. We propose a stepwise approach using fluoroscopy or possibly flexible bronchoscopy under sedation, in order to reduce the number of negative RBs while restricting the use of the CT scan.     

Branchial anomaly in a newborn presenting as stridor

A male patient presented at day 3 of life with a small anterior neck mass and mild intermittent upper airway obstruction. Despite intravenous antibiotics, the patient rapidly progressed to impending airway obstruction requiring surgical intervention. The clinical, radiographic, and histologic findings of this extremely rare case of a third branchial anomaly will be presented. The embryologic basis for the connection to the aerodigestive tract and the access provided to gram negative enteric organisms in newborns will be discussed.     

婴幼儿吸气性喉喘鸣病因分析与治疗

目的 分析婴幼儿吸气性喉喘鸣的发病原因,探讨其有效治疗方法。方法 回顾性分析2009年7月至2012年7月于我科就诊的256例吸气性喉喘鸣患儿的临床资料。结果 256例中,162例(63.3％)为先天性喉气道结构异常,50例(19.5％)为占位性病变,11例(4.3%11/256)为神经性疾病-声带麻痹,33例(12.9％33／256)为获得性病变引起的上呼吸道阻塞。结论 喉软骨软化症仍是0~2岁婴儿吸气性喉喘鸣的主要病因,随着月龄增长有自愈的倾向;其他喉部病变也是吸气性喉喘鸣的重要病因。诊断需借助辅助检查,应尽早明确;针对不同病因采取不同的治疗方案     

Flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy in the neonatal intensive care unit

The pediatric otolaryngologist is often asked to evaluate intubated patients in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) because of sudden deterioration in respiratory status unresponsive to medical management. Previously, evaluation of infants required transportation to the operating room for rigid endoscopy. At the present time, however, flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy may be performed on such patients in the NICU as an initial diagnostic or therapeutic measure. The procedure is performed through an endotracheal tube or tracheostomy tube already in place, thereby assuring maintenance of a safe airway. Ten representative cases are presented detailing the indications, technique and potential applications in the NICU.     

Outpatient fibre-optic laryngoscopy for stridor in children and infants

Many neonates are referred for a diagnosis with stridor. The gold standard investigation has traditionally been a rigid or direct microlaryngoscopy. This impacts on existing theatre schedules, demands a high level of skills from the paediatric anaesthetist along with the risk of exposing a neonate to a general anaesthetic. A bed in paediatric intensive care is often required and must be reserved. As laryngomalacia is the most common diagnosis and less serious than the investigations for infants with stridor themselves, clinicians have been looking to use the flexible fibre-optic laryngoscope to view the upper airway in awake neonatal patients. We present our experience in 66 neonatal patients initially managed by awake per-oral flexible fibre-optic laryngoscopy for stridor. We conclude that the technique is safe, straightforward and allows a diagnosis to be achieved in a significant number of cases. We recommend it as a first line investigation, reserving microlaryngoscopy for the group of patients in whom a diagnosis cannot be made in the outpatient clinic.     

Flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy through the laryngeal mask airway in a small, premature neonate

The laryngeal mask airway (LMA) was introduced as a supraglottic device in anesthesia for routine use in the normal adult and pediatric population. Because the distal end of properly placed LMA faces the laryngeal inlet, this device can be used as a guide to flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy (FFB) performance. In this clinical case, we present a small premature neonate with severe congenital biphasic stridor. FFB was performed successfully through the LMA while maintaining a patent airway during general anesthesia and permitting spontaneous respiration, as well as allowing assisted ventilation when necessary. An immediately subglottic intramural mass was revealed and tracheostomy was performed.     

The role of airway fluoroscopy in the evaluation of stridor in children

OBJECTIVE: To determine the role of airway fluoroscopy in comparison with other diagnostic modalities in diagnosing the site of partial airway obstruction in children with stridor. DESIGN: Prospective study comparing direct laryngoscopy and bronchoscopy with nasopharyngoscopy, airway fluoroscopy, and plain films. Children with stridor or partial airway obstruction were evaluated by the Department of Otolaryngology at Columbus Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio. A history review and physical examination, including flexible fiberoptic laryngoscopy, plain films, airway fluoroscopy, and direct laryngoscopy and bronchoscopy, were performed for all children. SETTING: Tertiary care children's hospital. PATIENTS: From November 1996 to September 1999, 64 children aged 1 week to 12 years, with a mean age of 1.8 years and male-female ratio of 3:2, were evaluated for stridor. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The sensitivity and specificity of airway fluoroscopy in diagnosing the site of partial airway obstruction in comparison with nasopharyngoscopy and plain films. RESULTS: Airway fluoroscopy had a sensitivity of 80% for subglottic, 73% for tracheal, and 80% for bronchial sites of obstruction. It was less sensitive for supraglottic and glottic sites-33% and 14%, respectively. Nasopharyngoscopy was more sensitive for supraglottic and glottic sites of obstruction. Overall, airway fluoroscopy was far more sensitive than plain films for diagnosing site of obstruction. CONCLUSIONS: Airway fluoroscopy is a quick, noninvasive, and dynamic study of the entire airway that provides important additional information to the history review and physical examination and is a valuable adjunct to flexible fiberoptic laryngoscopy. It was far superior to plain films and may serve as a cost-effective screening tool in the evaluation of stridor in children, especially for lesions of the lower airway.     

Stroboscopy as a research instrument: development of a perceptual evaluation tool

Laryngeal stroboscopy is arguably the most important clinical tool for the evaluation and treatment of patients with voice disorders. Unfortunately, at present, laryngeal stroboscopy is strictly a clinical tool and has no definitive use in the area of voice research. The limitation with laryngeal stroboscopy is the subjective nature of the interpretation of the video examination. A video stroboscopy research tool was developed using 10 stroboscopic parameters selected from the literature and clinical practice. The stroboscopy research tool was validated with the results of 18 reviewers using the instrument to rate 21 unique "cases" and 6 repeated "cases." The results of this video perceptual analysis study identified which parameters were the most robust and reliable across a wide range of reviewers and validated power analysis curves for future similar research. Furthermore, findings from this study revealed that a greater than 80% intra-rater reliability is the preferred method for the selection of a valid and reliable reviewer. Future research using this instrument will most likely increase the reliability and utility of the instrument with the use of prestudy reviewer training and/or the use of video examples to serve as anchors or external references.     

Vallecular cyst as a rare cause of progressive inspiratory stridor

BACKGROUND: Vallecular cysts are frequently observed, benign masses of the upper aerodigestiv tract. Usually they appear as harmless and asymptomatic and go unnoticed by the patient. In rare cases, obstructions of the upper airway due to monstrous vallecular cysts may become life threatening. CASE: We report on a 69-year-old otherwise healthy woman with a rapidly progressive history of dyspnea caused by a pedicled vallecular cyst. Increasing stridor prompted emergency surgical resection. CONCLUSION: Vallecular cysts that increase in size can cause dyspnea due to obstruction of the aditus of the larynx. This case demonstrates the need for surgical treatment at an early stage of pedicled vallecular cysts.