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First branchial cleft anomalies are rare congenital defects of the head and neck. This case report presents a 12-year-old patient with a draining cutaneous pit approximately 1-cm anterior and 5-mm inferior to the right angle of the mandible. Imaging revealed a fistula between the cutaneous pit and Eustachian tube. Further characterization with methylene blue injection into the cutaneous pit resulted in spillage through the right Eustachian tube. Surgical excision of the fistula revealed a cylindrical structure comprised of ectodermal and mesodermal features that most likely represented a Work Type 2 first branchial cleft fistula. Keywords: First branchial cleft, Branchial cleft fistula, Branchial cleft, Work Type 2, Eustachian tube

Objective To provide recommendations for the comprehensive management of young infants who present with signs or symptoms concerning for laryngomalacia. Methods Expert opinion by the members of the International Pediatric Otolaryngology Group (IPOG). Results Consensus recommendations include initial care and triage recommendations for health care providers who commonly evaluate young infants with noisy breathing. The consensus statement also provides comprehensive care recommendations for otolaryngologists who manage young infants with laryngomalacia including: evaluation and treatment considerations for commonly debated issues in laryngomalacia, initial work-up of infants presenting with inspiratory stridor, treatment recommendations based on disease severity, management of the infant with feeding difficulties, post-surgical treatment management recommendations, and suggestions for acid suppression therapy. Conclusion Laryngomalacia care consensus recommendations are aimed at improving patient-centered care in infants with laryngomalacia.

Objective To provide recommendations for the workup of hearing loss in the pediatric patient. Methods Expert opinion by the members of the International Pediatric Otolaryngology Group. Results Consensus recommendations include initial screening and diagnosis as well as the workup of sensorineural, conductive and mixed hearing loss in children. The consensus statement discusses the role of genetic testing and imaging and provides algorithms to guide the workup of children with hearing loss. Conclusion The workup of children with hearing loss can be guided by the recommendations provided herein.

Importance Several studies have documented the prevalence and treatment of orbital complications secondary to pediatric rhinosinusitis, but to our knowledge, none have investigated the national health care burden of this disease since the introduction of the heptavalent pneumococcal vaccine (PCV-7). Objective To identify the current public health burden of orbital complications of pediatric rhinosinusitis, and to determine if the introduction of the PCV-7 has resulted in a change in national practice patterns. Design, Setting, and Participants Population-based study using the 2000 and 2009 Kids’ Inpatient Databases to gather data on a sample of all pediatric discharges in the United States during the years 2000 and 2009. Children diagnosed as having orbital complications of sinusitis were identified by corresponding International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes. Database analyses generated national estimates of summary statistics and comparison of trends over the 9-year period. Interventions Database analysis. Main Outcomes and Measures National health care trends according to year. End points assessed included prevalence, age, sex, length of hospital stay, and treatment of disease. Results The estimated prevalence of orbital complications of sinusitis requiring hospitalization in the United States has slightly decreased from 5338 (95% CI, 4956-5720) admissions in 2000 to 4511 (95% CI, 4165-4858) in 2009. However, the mean age has increased from 4.77 (95% CI, 4.56-4.97) years to 6.07 (95% CI, 5.87-6.26) years. The proportion of children undergoing surgical treatment increased from 0.108 (95% CI, 0.093-0.123) to 0.195 (95% CI, 0.176-0.213). Total charges increased from $4 140 000 (95% CI, $3 440 000-$4 830 000) to $10 000 000 (95% CI, $8 480 000-$11 600 000) with a mean charge per admission increasing from $8390 (95% CI, $7096-$9685) in 2000 to $22 656 (95% CI, $19 997-$25 314) in 2009. The mean length of stay remained stable at 3.67 (95% CI, 3.37-3.97) to 4.05 (95% CI, 3.81-4.29) hospital days. Conclusions and Relevance The public health impact of orbital complications of pediatric rhinosinusitis continues to be substantial. Since the institution of the PCV-7 vaccine, national trends demonstrate a slightly decreased prevalence of hospital admissions. However, there is a shifting trend toward an older age at admission and a higher proportion of children undergoing surgical treatment.

Importance Sleep-associated upper-airway obstruction in children is a significant cause of morbidity. Development of a simple, standardized, quantitative technique to assess anatomic causes of sleep-related breathing disorder is important for surgical planning, clinical communication, and research. Objective To design, implement, and evaluate a scoring system to quantify airway obstruction in pediatric drug-induced sleep endoscopy. Design, Setting, and Participants This study was a retrospective case series conducted at a tertiary pediatric hospital. The patients were children with sleep-related breathing disorder who underwent polysomnography and drug-induced sleep endoscopy. Interventions Flexible fiber-optic laryngoscopy was performed. Endoscopic examinations were recorded on video and assessed by 4 independent raters based on a scoring template. Main Outcomes and Measures Five locations in the upper aerodigestive tract (adenoid, velum, lateral pharyngeal wall, tongue base, and supraglottis) were evaluated on a 4-point scale for minimum and maximum obstruction. Internal reliability was assessed by calculating interrater and intrarater intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). For external validation, aggregate and site-specific scores were correlated with preoperative polysomnographic indices. Results Videos recorded of sleep endoscopies from 23 children (mean age, 2.2 years) were reviewed and rated. Children had an average apnea-hypopnea index of 24.8. Seventy percent of interrater and intrarater ICC values (7 of 10 for each set) were above 0.6, demonstrating substantial agreement. Higher total obstructive scores were associated with lower oxygen saturation nadir ( P = .04). The scoring system was also used to quantitatively identify children with multilevel airway obstruction, who were found to have significantly worse polysomnographic indices compared with children with single-level obstruction ( P = .02). Conclusions and Relevance The proposed scoring system, which is designed to be easy to use and allow for subjectivity in evaluating obstruction at multiple levels, nonetheless achieves good internal reliability and external validity. Implementing this system will allow for standardization of reporting for sleep endoscopy outcomes, as well as aid the practicing clinician in the interpretation of sleep endoscopy findings to inform site-directed surgical intervention in cases of complicated obstructive sleep apnea.