The utility of the fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) in diagnosing and treating children with Type I laryngeal clefts

SummaryThis case series of three young children with type I laryngeal clefts is presented to demonstrate the utility of fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) in managing these patients. FEES revealed laryngeal penetration in a posterior to anterior direction in two patients and penetration from lateral to medial in the third patient. The type of laryngeal penetration helped in making the diagnosis of a type I cleft in two children and helped establish a safe feeding regiment in the third child. Patients with type I laryngeal clefts are often misdiagnosed, most likely resulting from the complex presentation of signs/symptoms and the difficulty of detecting small clefts with currently available tests. The pattern of laryngeal aspiration seen with FEES can help in diagnosis and management in this patient population.