Application of Cone Beam Tomography in Pre-School Children with Upper Airway Obstruction

Patency disorders of the upper airways are a serious problem occurring in pre-school children. The most common cause of this disorder is the adenoid hypertrophy, which results in obstructions in the posterior nasal apertures, leading to the development of an abnormal respiratory tract. We have several diagnostic methods, which can confirm the presence of upper airways pathologies. When it comes to medical imaging, the following methods are worth mentioning: fiberoscopy, nasopharynx x-ray imaging and a relatively new method Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT), which is commonly used for the purpose of imaging of viscerocranium skeletal structures. The aim of the study was examination 37 children aged 4-10, with frequent recurrent upper airways infections, abnormal respiratory tract, hypoacusis, suspected adenoid hypertrophy and hypernasality. Exclusion criteria: children with cleft palate and children who underwent adenoidectomy and tonsillotomy. Every child had a CBCT scan of the sinuses. The study was conducted on 13 girls and 24 boys of preschool age (4 to 10 years). In total, 37 children were tested with help of CBCT scan. 32 patients werediagnosed with adenoid hypertrophy and 13 patients with tonsillar hypertrophy. Co-occurrence of sinusitis (jaw, ethmoid, sphenoid) with adenoid hypertrophywas observed in 15 children in total. The results of our study have confirmed that cone tomography allows for a quick visualization of the pathology of the upper airways, which can serve as a basis for applying pharmacological treatment or granting eligibility for surgery.