Comparison of Videofluoroscopic Swallowing Study and Fiberoptic-Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing Findings in Pediatric Patients

Objective: This study is designed to determine the value and accuracy of Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES) in the diagnosis of swallowing disorders as a diagnostic tool, in comparison with the widely accepted Videofluoroscopic Swallowing Study (VFSS) in pediatric patients.Methods: Cross-sectional study in tertiary referral center. Fifty one children with swallowing difficulty due to various diseases were prospectively evaluated using both VFSS and FEES. The variables, early pharyngeal spillover, pharyngeal residues, laryngeal sensitivity-silent aspiration, laryngeal penetration and laryngeal aspiration were evaluated in all patients. Results: Mean patient age was 29.8±17.8 (range 9-72) months. Six patients were younger than 13 months, 19 were between 13 and 24 months, and 26 patients were older than 2 years of age. There were 21 (42%) females and 30 (58%) males in the study group. Significant correlation in pharyngeal residues and laryngeal sensitivity-silent aspiration findings were found between FEES and VFSS data. No Significant dissimilarity in laryngeal aspiration and penetration evaluation was found. Conclusion: Swallowing evaluation in children is more challenging than adults. Study findings showed that FEES outcomes correlate with VFSS data, especially in the diagnosis of laryngeal aspiration and FESS is a valuable tool in identifying swallowing disorders in pediatric patients