[Pediatric laryngeal clefts: an experience in the diagnosis and management of 13 cases].

Objective: To investigate the diagnosis and management of laryngeal cleft. Method: The clinical data of 13 cases of laryngeal cleft treated between 2007 and 2015 was analyzed retrospectively. Results: The children with laryngeal cleft were classified according to the classification of Benjamin-Inglis, as type Ⅰ(11 cases), typeⅡ(1 case) and type Ⅲ(1 case). All patients were confirmed by microlaryngobronchoscopy under general anaesthetic. Eleven typeⅠ and 1 type Ⅱ clefts were managed conservatively, with which all type Ⅰ patients were successfully managed, while the type Ⅱ patient was resolved by surgical endoscopy. The type Ⅲ patient was treated by open repair but the results was poor. Conclusions: Patients who suffered with choking on feeding or recurrent aspiration pneumonia, especially coexisted with other congenital malformation, needed detailed evaluation for laryngeal cleft, although which was a rare congenital abnormality. Electronic laryngoscope could be the first step to screen the cleft, while microlaryngobronchoscopy is the gold standard for diagnosis of laryngeal cleft. The majority of children with lower type clefts can be managed conservatively. Surgical endoscopy has high success rate when strictly following the indication. Type Ⅲ and Ⅳ clefts have high mortality for usually combining with severe complications and abnormalities.