Type‐1 Laryngeal Cleft and Pathogenic Bacterial Growth in the Lower Airway in Children

Objectives/Hypothesis The purpose of this study is to evaluate the association between type‐1 laryngeal clefts and pathogenic bacterial growth in the lower airway in children. Study Design Retrospective chart review. Methods A retrospective chart review was conducted for all children who underwent direct laryngoscopy, flexible bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), and esophagogastroduodenoscopy, under a single anesthetic event from 2015 until 2018 at an academic tertiary referral center. Type‐1 laryngeal clefts were diagnosed as an interarytenoid depth at or below the level of the vocal folds, on direct laryngoscopy, via palpation by a fellowship‐trained pediatric otolaryngologist. Pathogenic bacterial growth in the lower airway was defined as presence of BAL culture growth of nonrespiratory flora. Results A total of 217 patients were identified. Type‐1 laryngeal cleft was significantly associated with chronic cough (P = .0016) and cough with feeds (P