2023 Volume 39 Issue 2 Pages 54-61
When upper airway obstruction is suspected in pediatric cases, the primary choice for imaging is lateral radiography of the upper airway. While this examination is straightforward, it may not yield useful findings depending on the imaging conditions. Since the lumen of the upper airway can easily change, dynamic assessment through laryngoscopy is valuable for diagnosis. Laryngoscopy requires trained personnel and is limited to certain facilities, but it offers the advantage of being able to be performed without anesthesia and is more convenient compared to CT or MRI.
In this context, we compare lateral upper airway radiography and laryngoscopy in the diagnosis of upper airway obstruction in pediatric patients, and provide an overview of the differences in and characteristics of their roles. In addition, we will present the results of a comparison of the diagnostic rates of both examinations for various conditions.
