The Yield of Laryngeal Ultrasound in the Evaluation of Stridor and Dysphonia in Children

Overview

Stridor is a respiratory noise caused by partial obstruction of the large airways at the level of the pharynx, larynx and/or trachea. The second most common cause of stridor is vocal cord paralysis. Awake nasolaryngoscopyn (ANL) is regarded as the gold standard for the diagnosis of laryngomalacia. However, ANL has some drawbacks as it may cause discomfort for the patient and the laryngeal view may be obscured due to patient movement or anatomical variations. Ultrasound (US) is a noninvasive, painless, radiation free, well tolerated imaging technique. Evaluation of the dynamic characteristics of the glottis by US revealed perfect reliability in comparison to nasolryngoscopy suggesting that US can be useful in the assessment of laryngeal adduction. The investigator hypothesize that laryngeal US can be an accurate and reliable adjunct in the diagnosis of functional and anatomical causes of stridor and dysphonia in the pediatric population.

Conditions

Eligibility

Locations (1)