Structural Lung Disease in Children and Adolescents With Severe Neurological Disorders

Abstract

Background and objective: Children with severe neurological disorders are at risk of secondary respiratory morbidity due to impaired airway clearance and dysphagia, but systematic data on structural lung changes remain scarce.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed all clinically indicated chest CT examinations at a tertiary care center (2015-2025) in 34 children with severe neurological disorders (median age 10 years), excluding those with primary lung disease. Exploratory hierarchical clustering identified clinical phenotypes based on disease etiology, respiratory support, dysphagia, and mobility.

Results: Structural abnormalities were common. Lobar consolidation (76%) and bronchial wall thickening (62%) were the most frequent CT findings. Cluster analysis identified three phenotypes: a stable neuromuscular phenotype without bronchiectasis or Pseudomonas aeruginosa colonization, an advanced neuromuscular-dysphagic phenotype with the highest bronchiectasis prevalence (64%, p = 0.005), and a neurologic-dysphagic phenotype characterized by frequent consolidations (86%) and ground-glass opacities (36%). Although most scans were elective (76%), CT prompted management changes in 91% of patients, mainly intensified airway clearance, antibiotic treatment, and escalated respiratory support. Among CT abnormalities associated with subsequent management change, 60% were not clearly identifiable on retrospectively reviewed preceding chest radiographs.

Conclusion: In this selective cohort of children with severe neurological disorders undergoing clinically indicated chest CT, structural lung abnormalities were common despite the absence of a primary pulmonary diagnosis. Exploratory clinical phenotyping suggested distinct risk patterns linked to dysphagia, impaired airway clearance, and microbial colonization, and may help identify patients in whom CT provides clinically relevant additional information. Prospective studies are warranted before broader CT-based strategies can be recommended.

Keywords: Chest computed tomography (CT); bronchiectasis; dysphagia; neurologic disorders; neuromuscular diseases.