Unsuspected tracheal web inhibits endotracheal intubation: report of a case.

A 66-year-old woman was scheduled for resection of a recurrent brain astrocytoma. During anesthesia induction, endotracheal intubation became impossible. Urgent bronchoscopy under laryngeal mask ventilation visualized a subglottic web 1 cm below the vocal cords. After bronchoscopic ablation with argon plasma coagulation, the airway intubation was successful.