[Successful Airway Management Using the air-Q Intubating Laryngeal Airway under Dexmedetomidine and Laryngeus Superior Nerve Block for Severe Tracheal Stenosis due to Thyroid Cancer Invasion].

A 75-year-old woman suffering from respiratory difficulty was diagnosed with severe tracheal stenosis due o malignant thyroid cancer. She was scheduled for an mergent tracheotomy, but preoperative computed omography revealed severe tracheal stenosis below he glottis due to thyroid cancer invasion. Anticipating lifficult tracheal intubation and risk of obstruction from hemorrhage, intubation preserving spontaneous ventiation was performed to avoid a 'can't ventilate, can't intubate' situation. A size 3.5 air-Q intubating laryngeal airway was inserted using a bronchofiberscope to perform tracheal intubation in a semi-sitting position. Successful tracheal intubation which avoided damage to the tumor was achieved while maintaining spontaneous ventilation. The air-Q intubating laryngeal airway was useful in this setting of severe tracheal stenosis due to thyroid cancer just under the glottis.