Peroral endoscopy in neonates.

A study was made of 100 neonates examined by 171 procedures in a 5 year period. Thirty-six patients had vocal cord palsies: unilateral, bilateral, complete or incomplete. Twenty-four infants had laryngomalacia of which 5 had concomitant problems of multiple congenital anomalies or palsies of varying severity. Laryngeal stenosis was encountered in 13 patients. Four of these were congenital, and two required tracheotomy; 8 of the 9 patients with acquired stenosis required tracheotomy. Nine infants had cardiovascular anomalies. Three were seen following TEF repair. Esophageal foreign bodies (endotracheal tube) were removed from two infants. Of the 28 neonates who had tracheotomies, 13 had vocal cord palsies, 10 had laryngeal stenosis and 8 had congenital cardiovascular disease. In the 171 procedures, anesthesia was used 18 times for tracheotomy and 7 times for repeated procedures. There were 3 deaths in this series, all related to the underlying disease. This study indicates that endoscopic examinations of the neonate can be accomplished safely. It further indicates the diverse diseases for which endoscopy is indicated. General anesthesia is not mandatory for such examinations.