Laryngeal ultrasound for evaluation of paediatric unilateral vocal fold
immobility -- a retrospective cohort study in Aotearoa New Zealand and a
survey of clinicians around the world
Abstract
Objective: Vocal fold immobility (VFI) is a cause of significant
morbidity and mortality in the paediatric population. Laryngoscopy is
the current first-line investigation for patients with suspected VFI.
Laryngeal ultrasound (LUS) has recently emerged as an alternative method
of identifying VFI. Compared to laryngoscopy, LUS is less invasive, does
not require anaesthesia, and can be performed by non-otolaryngologists.
The primary objective of this study is to evaluate LUS as a diagnostic
method for the identification of unilateral VFI in a cohort of
paediatric patients in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ). The secondary
objective is to estimate the frequency of use of LUS in the paediatric
population around the world. Methods: A retrospective, single-centre
cohort study was performed on all paediatric patients who had undergone
laryngoscopy and LUS at Starship Children’s Health between 2020 to 2023
in Auckland, NZ. An eight-question survey was also developed and
distributed to better understand clinicians’ use of LUS to diagnose
paediatric VFI globally. Results: Twenty-three paediatric patients met
the inclusion criteria. LUS demonstrated high sensitivity (100%),
specificity (63%), positive predictive value (83%), and negative
predictive value (100%) for detecting unilateral VFI within our patient
population. Out of the eighty-seven respondents to the survey, nearly
half utilise LUS in their clinical practice in the paediatric
population. The main barrier for those who do not is lack of expertise,
equipment, and training. Conclusions: These findings support the use of
LUS as a safe and accurate diagnostic tool for the detection of
unilateral VFI. Further studies in non-surgical populations and
standardised guidelines for LUS technique and reporting are required.