We describe our experience with anesthesia for airway endoscopy in 60 patients, aged to 10 years. Urgent or out-patient endoscopies were performed during removal of foreign bodies from the airway tract or during "dynamic" pathological diagnosis (laryngomalacia, vocal cord paralysis, tracheomalacia, tracheal/bronchial dyskinesia). Isoflurane induction and local anesthesia of the vocal cords allowed sufficient ventilation and oxygenation of anesthetized spontaneously breathing patients. This anesthetic procedure is suitable in high risk patients like newborns and small children. This technique supports the cardiocirculatory and blood gas analytic parameters, maintaining low airway pressures while depressing respiratory reflexes.