What does a lateral neck X-ray typically show in croup?

What does a lateral neck X-ray typically show in croup?

• A. Haziness in the subglottic region
• B. Patchy lobar consolidation
• C. Mediastinal widening
• D. Pleural effusion

Answer: (A)

Croup injures the subglottic region, where the airway is the narrowest in young children, so the lateral neck X-ray typically shows haziness or increased soft-tissue density in the subglottic area reflecting edema and narrowing of the airway. This subglottic swelling is the hallmark seen on the lateral view. The other findings described—patchy lobar consolidation, mediastinal widening, or pleural effusion—point to pneumonia, a space-occupying or mediastinal process, or fluid in the pleural space, respectively, and are not characteristic of uncomplicated croup on a lateral neck radiograph.

Croup injures the subglottic region, where the airway is the narrowest in young children, so the lateral neck X-ray typically shows haziness or increased soft-tissue density in the subglottic area reflecting edema and narrowing of the airway. This subglottic swelling is the hallmark seen on the lateral view. The other findings described—patchy lobar consolidation, mediastinal widening, or pleural effusion—point to pneumonia, a space-occupying or mediastinal process, or fluid in the pleural space, respectively, and are not characteristic of uncomplicated croup on a lateral neck radiograph.