3D-CT-Based Prediction of Difficult Laryngoscopy in Infants With Pierre Robin Sequence

This retrospective cohort study includes infants diagnosed with Pierre Robin sequence (PRS) who underwent mandibular distraction osteogenesis at the Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University between January 2023 and September 2025. Preoperative three-dimensional computed tomography (3D-CT) scans will be used to measure quantitative airway parameters, including the oropharyngeal sagittal area (S2) and the distance from the tongue base to the posterior pharyngeal wall (D4). According to Cormack-Lehane grades obtained during laryngoscopy, infants will be classified into easy (grades I-II) and difficult (grades III-IV) exposure groups. Logistic regression will be used to identify independent predictors of difficult laryngoscopy, and a dual-parameter model combining S2 and D4 will be developed. The model's discrimination, calibration, and clinical usefulness will be assessed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, calibration plots, and decision curve analysis (DCA). Internal validation will be performed using bootstrap resampling (1000 iterations), and temporal external validation will be conducted using an independent cohort from 2025. The goal of this study is to construct a simple, objective, and reproducible model that can improve preoperative airway risk evaluation and support anesthetic management in PRS infants.