Pediatric Normal Airway

  • Etiology: Technical artifact
  • Imaging:
    — Lateral radiographs of the airway must always be taken in inspiration and in extension
    — If lateral radiographs of the airway are taken in expiration and in flexion they can mistakenly be interpreted as showing a retropharyngeal abscess
  • DDX: Retropharyngeal abscess
  • Complications:
  • Treatment:
  • Clinical:

Radiology Cases of Normal Airway

Radiology Cases of Normal Lateral Airway in Expiration and Flexion

Radiograph of normal airway
Lateral radiograph of the airway taken in expiration and flexion shows nearly 90 degree buckling of the trachea and massive thickening of the prevertebral soft tissues simulating a retropharyngeal abscess. Repeat radiograph obtained in inspiration and extension was normal.

Radiology Cases of Normal AP Airway and AP Airway in Croup

Radiograph of croup
AP radiograph of the airway (right) shows symmetric subglottic narrowing of the trachea leading to loss of the normal shoulders of the subglottic trachea (church steeple sign). AP radiograph of a normal airway for comparison (left) shows the normal shoulders of the subglottic trachea.

Endoscopy Cases of Normal Airway

Endoscopy image of normal airway
Endoscopic image shows the epiglottis in the upper center of the image and aryepiglottic folds lateral to it to be normal in appearance. The airway in the center of the image is of normal caliber.
Endoscopy image of normal airway
Endoscopic image shows the epiglottis in the upper center of the image and aryepiglottic folds lateral to it to be normal in appearance. The airway in the center of the image is of normal caliber.