Indications for tracheostomy in children with head and neck lymphatic malformation: analysis of a nationwide survey in Japan.

Purpose: Airway obstruction caused by lymphatic malformation (LM) in the head and neck may require a tracheostomy. We present the results of our analysis of a nationwide survey on the indications for tracheostomy in children with head and neck LM.

Methods: We analyzed data in relation to tracheostomy based on a questionnaire about 518 children with head and neck LM without mediastinal involvement.

Results: Tracheostomy was performed for 43 of the 518 children. Most (32/43) of these children were younger than 1 year of age and the tracheostomy was almost always performed for airway obstruction (40/43). The lesion was in contact with the airway in 32 (72%) of these children, but in only 58 (12%) of the 473 children who were managed without tracheostomy. When the maximum circumferential area of contact was compared, only 20 (27%) of 74 patients with maximum contact of less than a half-circle required tracheostomy, whereas 11 of 13 with maximum contact of more than a half-circle required tracheostomy (P = 0.0001). Six patients without airway contact required tracheostomy because of acute swelling caused by hemorrhage, infection, or both.

Conclusions: Children with head and neck LM required tracheostomy to relieve airway obstruction. Tracheostomy should be considered if the lesion is in contact with the airway and surrounds more than a half-circle, and when it causes acute swelling.