Prolonged Intubation Injuries of the Larynx: Endoscopic Diagnosis, Classification, and Treatment

Laryngeal trauma from prolonged endotracheal intubation occurs in patients of all ages. Most changes are superficial and heal quickly. Injuries that are found consistently during intubation include nonspecific changes, edema, granulation tissue, ulceration, and other miscellaneous injuries. In this paper significant, severe, and lasting trauma of the larynx has been classified on the basis of the known factors in pathogenesis, observations made at endoscopy, and photographic documentation. This classification has required introduction of new descriptive terminology: “tongues of granulation tissue,” “ulcerated troughs,” “healed furrows,” and “healed fibrous nodule.” During intubation the degree of injury can be precisely assessed under general anesthesia by using telescopes for image magnification, thus assisting a decision whether to continue intubation or perform tracheotomy to minimize long-term morbidity. Changes that are found after extubation result from granulation tissue, ulceration, or a combination of both and have been illustrated on flow charts; a knowledge and understanding of these sequelae allows them to be identified by both indirect and direct laryngoscopy so that treatment can be planned.