Fiberoptic Bronchoscopy-Assisted Endotracheal Intubation in a Patient With a Large Tracheal Tumor

In the event of a high degree of airway obstruction, endotracheal intubation can be impossible and even dangerous, because it can cause complete airway obstruction, especially in patients with high tracheal lesions. However, a smaller endotracheal tube under the guidance of a bronchoscope can be insinuated past obstructive tumor in most noncircumferential cases. Here we report a case of successful fiberoptic bronchoscopy-assisted endotracheal intubation in a patient undergoing surgical resection of a large, high tracheal tumor causing severe tracheal stenosis. A 42-year-old Chinese man presented with dyspnea, intermittent irritable cough, and sleep deprivation for one and a half years. X-rays and computed tomography scan of the chest revealed an irregular pedunculated soft tissue mass within the tracheal lumen. The mass occupied over 90% of the lumen and caused severe tracheal stenosis. Endotracheal intubation was done to perform tracheal tumor resection under general anesthesia. After several failed conventional endotracheal intubation attempts, fiberoptic bronchoscopy-assisted intubation was successful. The patient received mechanical ventilation and then underwent tumor resection and a permanent tracheostomy. This case provides evidence of the usefulness of the fiberoptic bronchoscopy-assisted intubation technique in management of an anticipated difficult airway and suggests that tracheal intubation can be performed directly in patients with a tracheal tumor who can sleep in the supine position, even if they have occasional sleep deprivation and severe tracheal obstruction as revealed by imaging techniques.Key words: Tracheal tumors, Fiberoptic bronchoscopy, Difficulty intubation, Difficult airwayPrimary tumors of the trachea, mostly malignant, are rare, accounting for fewer than 0.1% of all tumors.¹ Surgical resection is the major option that has the potential to cure all patients with benign and low-grade tumors and most patients with malignant tracheal tumors.¹ Since surgical procedure often requires the airway to be shared by the anesthetist and the surgeon, patients who undergo tracheal tumor resection often present with a considerable degree of airway obstruction, which makes anesthetic management during surgical resection challenging.² In the event of a high degree of airway obstruction, endotracheal intubation can be impossible and even dangerous because it can cause complete airway obstruction, especially in patients with high tracheal lesions.³ However, tumors are not circumferential in most cases, and a small endotracheal tube can be insinuated past a highly obstructive tumor under the guidance of bronchoscopy.³ Here we report a case of successful fiberoptic bronchoscopy-assisted endotracheal intubation in a patient undergoing surgical resection of a large, high tracheal tumor causing severe tracheal stenosis.