Article: Airway obstruction in children with congenital heart disease: Assessment by flexible bronchoscopy

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TitleAirway obstruction in children with congenital heart disease: Assessment by flexible bronchoscopy
AuthorsLee, SL1 2
Cheung, YF1
Leung, MP1
Ng, YK2
Tsoi, NS2
Issue Date2002
PublisherJohn Wiley & Sons, Inc. The Journal's web site is located at http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/jhome/39249
CitationPediatric Pulmonology, 2002, v. 34 n. 4, p. 304-311 [How to Cite?]
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ppul.10164
AbstractWe assessed the spectrum of airway disorders in children with congenital cardiac anomalies, and reviewed our experience in using flexible bronchoscopy for assessment of airway problems in this patient group. The clinical records, flexible bronchoscopic findings, and cardiac imaging results of pediatric cardiac patients who presented with either clinical or radiological signs of airway obstruction between 1992-1999 were reviewed. Frexible bronchoscopic assessment was performed with the patients under sedation and topical anesthesia, using one of two bronchoscopes, i.e., an Olympus BFN20 or Olympus BF3C20. Of a total of 52 patients, 33 had acyanotic cardiovascular lesions, the commonest being left-to-right shunts (61%), while 19 had cyanotic heart lesions, with right ventricular outflow obstruction being the commonest (63%). Twenty-seven patients had undergone either surgical or transcatheter interventions. The median age at bronchoscopic assessment was 6 months (range, 4 days to 6 years). None of the patients developed significant procedural complications. A definitive diagnosis was made in 48 (92%) patients, 8 of whom had abnormalities involving only the upper airways, 35 only the lower airways, and 5 both. Abnormalities of the upper airway included laryngomalacia (n = 6), subglottic stenosis (n = 3), pharyngeal collapse (n = 2), and 1 each of choanal stenosis and supraglottitis. Extrinsic compression was the commonest lower airway abnormality that was found in 27/40 patients (67%), with a predilection for the left main bronchus (18/27, 67%). The structures that caused extrinsic compression included dilated pulmonary arteries with or without left atrial dilation (n = 20), an anomalous aortic or pulmonary arterial course (n = 3), a dilated aorta (n = 1), and a shunt (n = 1), but were not obvious in 2 patients. Intrinsic lower airway abnormalities included bronchomalacia (n = 4), tracheal stenosis (n = 4), and one each of variant bronchial bifurcation and a pouch arising from the tracheal wall. Intraluminal mucus plugging of the lower airways occurred in the remaining 3 patients. Children with congenital heart disease are at risk of airway obstruction both before and after surgery. Flexible bronchoscopy, being safe and effective in diagnosing airway disorders in this patient group, should be considered as the first line of investigation. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
ISSN8755-6863
2011 Impact Factor: 2.533
2011 SCImago Journal Rankings: 0.157
DOIhttp://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ppul.10164
ReferencesReferences in Scopus
DC Field
Value
dc.contributor.authorLee, SL
dc.contributor.authorCheung, YF
dc.contributor.authorLeung, MP
dc.contributor.authorNg, YK
dc.contributor.authorTsoi, NS
dc.date.accessioned2012-10-30T06:07:29Z
dc.date.available2012-10-30T06:07:29Z
dc.date.issued2002
dc.description.abstractWe assessed the spectrum of airway disorders in children with congenital cardiac anomalies, and reviewed our experience in using flexible bronchoscopy for assessment of airway problems in this patient group. The clinical records, flexible bronchoscopic findings, and cardiac imaging results of pediatric cardiac patients who presented with either clinical or radiological signs of airway obstruction between 1992-1999 were reviewed. Frexible bronchoscopic assessment was performed with the patients under sedation and topical anesthesia, using one of two bronchoscopes, i.e., an Olympus BFN20 or Olympus BF3C20. Of a total of 52 patients, 33 had acyanotic cardiovascular lesions, the commonest being left-to-right shunts (61%), while 19 had cyanotic heart lesions, with right ventricular outflow obstruction being the commonest (63%). Twenty-seven patients had undergone either surgical or transcatheter interventions. The median age at bronchoscopic assessment was 6 months (range, 4 days to 6 years). None of the patients developed significant procedural complications. A definitive diagnosis was made in 48 (92%) patients, 8 of whom had abnormalities involving only the upper airways, 35 only the lower airways, and 5 both. Abnormalities of the upper airway included laryngomalacia (n = 6), subglottic stenosis (n = 3), pharyngeal collapse (n = 2), and 1 each of choanal stenosis and supraglottitis. Extrinsic compression was the commonest lower airway abnormality that was found in 27/40 patients (67%), with a predilection for the left main bronchus (18/27, 67%). The structures that caused extrinsic compression included dilated pulmonary arteries with or without left atrial dilation (n = 20), an anomalous aortic or pulmonary arterial course (n = 3), a dilated aorta (n = 1), and a shunt (n = 1), but were not obvious in 2 patients. Intrinsic lower airway abnormalities included bronchomalacia (n = 4), tracheal stenosis (n = 4), and one each of variant bronchial bifurcation and a pouch arising from the tracheal wall. Intraluminal mucus plugging of the lower airways occurred in the remaining 3 patients. Children with congenital heart disease are at risk of airway obstruction both before and after surgery. Flexible bronchoscopy, being safe and effective in diagnosing airway disorders in this patient group, should be considered as the first line of investigation. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
dc.description.natureLink_to_subscribed_fulltext
dc.identifier.citationPediatric Pulmonology, 2002, v. 34 n. 4, p. 304-311 [How to Cite?]
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ppul.10164
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ppul.10164
dc.identifier.epage311
dc.identifier.issn8755-6863
2011 Impact Factor: 2.533
2011 SCImago Journal Rankings: 0.157
dc.identifier.issue4
dc.identifier.pmid12205572
dc.identifier.scopuseid_2-s2.0-0036784990
dc.identifier.spage304
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10722/170320
dc.identifier.volume34
dc.languageeng
dc.publisherJohn Wiley & Sons, Inc. The Journal's web site is located at http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/jhome/39249
dc.publisher.placeUnited States
dc.relation.ispartofPediatric Pulmonology
dc.relation.referencesReferences in Scopus
dc.subject.meshAirway Obstruction - Complications - Diagnosis
dc.subject.meshBronchoscopy - Methods
dc.subject.meshChild
dc.subject.meshChild, Preschool
dc.subject.meshFemale
dc.subject.meshHeart Defects, Congenital - Complications
dc.subject.meshHumans
dc.subject.meshInfant
dc.subject.meshInfant, Newborn
dc.subject.meshMale
dc.subject.meshRespiratory System Abnormalities - Diagnosis
dc.titleAirway obstruction in children with congenital heart disease: Assessment by flexible bronchoscopy
dc.typeArticle
Author Affiliations
  1. The University of Hong Kong
  2. Queen Mary Hospital Hong Kong