Soft-tissue lateral neck radiography is important for diagnosing acute supraglottitis. This study aimed to determine the objective criteria for a diagnosis of acute supraglottitis from soft-tissue lateral neck radiographs in Korean adults. The parameters in 30 adult patients with acute supraglottitis were compared with those of age- and sex-matched normal 30 Korean adults. The mean of epiglottis width (EW) and aryepiglottic fold width (AEW) in the control group were 4.37 +/- 0.93 mm, 2.45 +/- 0.71 mm, respectively and in the patient group they were 15.87 +/- 3.60 mm, 6.4 +/- 2.55 mm, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of an EW greater than 7mm were 100%, and 100% respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of an AEW greater than 4.5 mm were 83%, and 100% respectively.
Acute Disease ; Adult ; Epiglottitis/*radiography ; Female ; Human ; Larynx/*radiography ; Male ; Middle Age

radiography and cone-beam computed tomography. After considering the patient's medical history and assessing clinical examination, we suspected angioedema and administered corticosteroid only. In the oral and maxillofacial area, proper diagnosis and prompt treatment of angioedema is important because angioedema of the tongue or larynx may lead to airway obstruction or a life-threatening condition.]]>
Adrenal Cortex Hormones ; Airway Obstruction ; Angioedema ; Cone-Beam Computed Tomography ; Diagnosis ; Extremities ; Female ; Humans ; Larynx ; Lip ; Middle Aged ; Radiography, Panoramic ; Tongue

OBJECTIVETo analyze the clinical characteristics of negative pressure pulmonary edema (NPPE).

METHODA retrospective investigation of the clinical manifestation, imageology, clinical course and outcome of 4 children with NPPE seen between June 2012 and July 2013 in a children's hospital. The causation of the airway obstruction was also explored.

RESULTAll the 4 cases were boys, the range of age was 40 days to 9 years. They had no history of respiratory and circulatory system disease. In 3 cases the disease had a sudden onset after the obstruction of airway, and in one the onset occurred 1.5 hours after removing the airway foreign body. All these cases presented with tachypnea, dyspnea, and cyanosis, none had fever. Three cases had coarse rales. Chest radiography was performed in 3 cases and CT scan was performed in 1 case, in all of them both lungs displayed diffuse ground-glass-like change and patchy consolidative infiltrates. Three cases were admitted to the ICU, duration of mechanical ventilation was less than 24 hours in 2 cases and 39 hours in one. Oxygen was given by mask to the remaining one in emergency department, whose symptoms were obviously improved in 10 hours. None was treated with diuretics, glucocorticoids or inotropic agents. Chest radiographs were taken within 24 hours of treatment in 2 cases and 24-48 hours in the other 2; almost all the pulmonary infiltrates were resolved. All the 4 cases were cured. The causes of airway obstruction were airway foreign bodies in two cases, laryngospasm in one and laryngomalacia in the other.

CONCLUSIONNPPE is a life-threatening emergency, which is manifested by rapid onset of respiratory distress rapidly (usually in several minutes, but might be hours later) after relief of the airway obstruction, with findings of pulmonary edema in chest radiograph. The symptoms resolve rapidly by oxygen therapy timely with or without mechanical ventilation. In children with airway obstruction, NPPE should be considered.

Acute Disease ; Airway Obstruction ; complications ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Foreign Bodies ; complications ; Humans ; Infant ; Intensive Care Units ; Intubation, Intratracheal ; methods ; Laryngismus ; complications ; Larynx ; Lung ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Male ; Oxygen Inhalation Therapy ; Positive-Pressure Respiration ; methods ; Pulmonary Edema ; diagnosis ; etiology ; therapy ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed