Key words Dyspnea in children · Laryngeal web · Laryngeal mask Sirs: Development of the laryngeal mask airway (LMA) was first described in 1981 by Dr. Archie Brain, a British anesthesi- ologist [6]. Constructed entirely of soft, medical-grade silicone rubber to withstand repeated autoclaving, the LMA consists of a tube or shaft that is fused at a 30˚ angle to a distal elliptical spoon-shaped mask with an inflatable rim, resembling a minia- ture face mask. Recently, it was modified to be flexible and re- inforced. The LMA can be inserted blindly and is advanced in one smooth movement until a characteristic resistance is felt as the upper esophageal sphincter is engaged. It offers less irrita- tion to the throat than a tracheal tube, does not require muscle relaxants or the use of a laryngoscope, is better tolerated than a tracheal tube, can be used in the management of difficult intuba- tions and emergency resuscitation, and can be employed for both controlled and spontaneous ventilation [6]. Laryngeal webs, subglottic stenosis, and congenital laryn- geal atresia result from the failure of resorption of proliferating epithelium in the laryngeal lumen during embryological devel- opment [4]. The cause of a congenital laryngeal web is still un- known, but familial cases have been reported [2]. In several, la- ryngeal webs constitute about 3% of all congenital anomalies of the larynx, and their incidence has been estimated at approxi- mately 1 in 10,000 births [3]. The major clinical features of laryngeal webs are abnormal- ity of the voice, respiratory distress and stridor, although certain cases may be asymptomatic [2, 4]. Respiratory distress includes cyanosis at birth or unexplained airway obstruction, both of which may require either immediate intubation or a tracheotomy [2]. Recurrent or atypical croup can occur in some patients. We have now diagnosed a laryngeal web in a patient by us- ing the laryngeal mask and suggest its use in the evaluation of childhood stridor and laryngeal web. A 6-year-old Turkish girl was brought to Yüzüncü Yıl Uni- versity for evaluation of a husky voice. She also had breathing difficulty and mild cyanosis with exercise present since early childhood. She had no prior history of surgery or trauma and no systemic anomalies were known. Awake examination of the larynx was not possible due to the patient’s irritability, so she H. Çankaya · I ˙ . Katı · E. Egeli · C. B. Demirel Use of the laryngeal mask to evaluate a laryngeal web Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol (1999) 256 : 523–524 © Springer-Verlag 1999 Received: 6 October 1998 / Accepted: 22 January 1999 LETTER TO THE EDITORS H. Çankaya (Y) · E. Egeli University of Yüzüncü Yıl, School of Medicine, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, TR-65300 I ˙ . Katı · C.B. Demirel University of Yüzüncü Yıl, School of Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Van, Turkey Fig. 1 Intraoperative position of the patient. Endoscope was passed through the LMA tube