Hosal S A, Fisher J A, Freeman J L
Department of Otolaryngology, University of Toronto, Faculty of Medicine, Mount Sinai Hospital, Ontario.
J Otolaryngol. 1995 Jun;24(3):139-42.
Acute tracheal obstruction by a mediastinal mass is uncommon in otolaryngologic practice. Choosing techniques for securing the airway, induction of anaesthesia, and the surgical approach require careful deliberation. We report our experience in a patient with acute respiratory distress due to external compression of the trachea in the mediastinum by metastatic carcinoma. We used a fibre-optic bronchoscope ensheathed by an endotracheal tube to secure the airway. Standard tracheotomy tubes were too short to splint open the obstruction in the distal trachea, whereas the long Montgomery T-tube was effective.
