OBJECTIVES The aims of this study were to review the clinical characteristics and management of submandibular space infections and to identify the predisposing factors of life-threatening complications. DESIGN AND METHODS This was a retrospective study at a tertiary academic center. We retrieved and evaluated the records of all patients admitted to the University of Padua Otolaryngology Clini...

Airway management is one of the most important aspects of pediatric anesthesia because of its inextricable relationship to the most important complication – the development of hypoxemia. This importance is further exemplified by the inherent differences in pediatric airway management when compared with adults. This chapter reviews the basics of pediatric airway management, with an emphasis on t...

Airway stenting is required for the palliative treatment of advanced esophageal cancer. This study retrospectively analyzes the outcomes of airway stenting for esophageal cancer at our institution. Data from nine patients who underwent airway stenting were reviewed. All patients had poor respiratory status due to esophagorespiratory fistula and/or respiratory stenosis. We retrospectively assess...

Sleep-related breathing disorders require special attention in children who spend a considerable time sleeping. Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome is characterized by episodes of upper airway obstruction during sleep. Symptoms include hyperactivity, enuresis, headache, failure to thrive, and increased respiratory effort and total sleep time. The most common cause is adenotonsillar hypertrophy. Co...

Varying degrees of upper airway obstruction is almost universally present in patients of congenital micrognathia which needs to be corrected as early as possible. This allows appropriate feeding and growth and prevents long-term complications such as pulmonary hypertension and cor pulmonale. We report the case of a tracheostomy-dependent, 4-year-old child with congenital micrognathia who was tr...

The presence of increased upper airway resistive loads during sleep can now be diagnosed by paediatricians. However, diagnostic criteria need to be further clarified to allow accurate identification of episodes of partial airway obstruction. New technological advances can be expected to help to determine the clinical usefulness of ambulatory testing during sleep and thus to establish the indica...

Distraction osteogenesis (DO) has been one of the most innovative concepts in cranio-maxillofacial syndromology and surgery over the last 25 years.Early mandibular distraction in severe micrognathia has recently been recognized as an effective treatment option to safely relieve upper airway obstruction associated with mandibular deficiency.An increased incidence in temporomandibular joint compl...

BACKGROUND Allergen induced early phase airway response and airway plasma exudation are predominantly mediated by inflammatory mast cell mediators including histamine, cysteinyl leukotrienes (cysLTs) and thromboxane A2 (TXA2). The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether repeated allergen exposure affects early phase airway response to allergen challenge. METHODS A trimellitic anhydri...