DESCRIPTION OF LARYNGEAL PATHOLOGIES IN CHILDREN EVALUATED BY OTOLARYNGOLOGISTS

The purpose of this investigation was to describe the occurrence of laryngeal pathologies and their distribution across age, sex, and race in a pediatric sample. Data were collected on 731 patients seeking evaluation or treatment at a children's hospital otolaryngology clinic. The most frequent laryngeal pathologies were subglottic stenosis, vocal nodules, laryngomalacia, and vocal fold paralysis. For the total sample, laryngeal pathologies were significantly more common to males than females. Laryngeal pathologies were most common in the youngest patients. The distribution of pathologies within each race was similar to that found throughout the total sample. Comparisons with similar investigations are made. Implications for management are discussed.