The pediatric airway

Abstract

In addition to the various developmental and normal physiologic factors that influence the airway, certain diseases and congenital defects may cause structural abnormalities. Many of these may present with upper airway obstruction. The differential diagnosis for extrathoracic airway obstruction is extensive and includes obstructions of the nasal passages, oropharynx, larynx, and the glottis. Anatomic abnormalities of the chin and tongue, such as micrognathia and macroglossia, can cause obstruction. In the naso-pharynx, obstruction is caused by nasal polyps and a persistence of the bucconasal membrane, as seen in choanal atresia or nasal piriform aperture stenosis. Within the oropharynx, adenoid-tonsillar enlargement, as well as peri-tonsillar and retropharyngeal abscesses, can obstruct the airway.