Management dilemmas due to a paratracheal follicular dendritic cell tumor

Follicular dendritic cell tumors are rare cancers of the lymph nodes of the head and neck. Despite a relatively high rate of recurrence, these neoplasms have a limited impact on the airways because they can be potentially cured by surgical resection. We present the case of a young woman with an unresectable follicular dendritic cell tumor involving the paratracheal region causing upper airway obstruction and respiratory failure. This malignant tumor created numerous management dilemmas and therapeutic challenges related to the unstable airway and the need for tracheal stenting to bypass the airway obstruction.