Clinical features and endoscopic images of hemoptysis and subglottic mass in children at Vietnam National Children’s Hospital

Objectives: To describe clinical characteristics and endoscopic image of patients with subglottic hemangioma. Subjects: 25 patients were diagnosed subglottic hemangioma at Vietnam National Children’s Hospital from 1st June, 2018 to 30th May, 2023. Methods: Retrospective and prospective cross-sectional studies. Results: median age was 2.7 months, ranged from 20 days to 20 months, female/male ratio: 2.1/1, mean age of stridor breathing onset was 30.7±20.6 days. The mean of prolonged and recurred stridor breathing was 51.3±47.5 days. Clinical features: stridor breathing (80%), suprasternal depression (76%), respiratory failure (72%), cough (36%), skin hemangioma (8%), choking (8%). Bronchoscopy results: The most common characteristic of the subglottic hemangioma was red with smooth wall (92%). The location of subglottic hemangioma included the following: circumferential lesion (36%), the right wall (32%), the left wall (28%), posterior wall (4%), and 8% of those spread to 1 cm below the trachea. The range of subglottic narrowing tumour was grade III (60%) and grade II (32%). Conclusions: Subglottic hemangioma is one of the rare diseases, causing early onset stridor breathing in children under 6 months. The most outstanding presentation is prolonged, recurrent stridor, which can cause laryngeal dyspnea. Diagnosis is mainly based on bronchoscopy to evaluate the colour, morphology, and tumour size.