Early Surgical Management of Thermal Airway Injury: A Case Series.Inhalation injury is an independent risk factor in burn mortality, imparting a 20% increased risk of death.  Yet there is little information on the natural history, functional outcome, or pathophysiology of thermal injury to the laryngotracheal complex, limiting treatment progress.  This paper demonstrates a case series (n = 3) of significant thermal airway injuries.  Histologic findings in the first case demonstrate an early IL-17A response in the human airway following thermal injury.  This is the first report implicating IL-17A in the airway mucosal immune response to thermal injury.  Patients who present with thermal inhalation injury should receive a thorough multidisciplinary airway evaluation, including early otolaryngologic evaluation. 
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