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Unusual presentation of acute upper airway obstruction caused by an anterior mediastinal mass
T M Akhtar1, S Ridley, C J Best
1Department of Anaesthesia, Royal Hospital For Sick Children, Yorkhill, Glasgow.
British Journal of Anaesthesia
|November 1, 1991
Insights
A child
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Medicine
- Thoracic Surgery
- Anesthesiology
Background:
- Acute upper airway obstruction is a medical emergency.
- Foreign body aspiration is a common cause in children.
- Mediastinal masses can present with respiratory symptoms.
Observation:
- A 5-year-old child presented with choking after foreign body inhalation.
- Initial symptoms suggested simple foreign body obstruction.
- Further investigation revealed a large anterior mediastinal tumor.
Findings:
- The mediastinal tumor was compressing the trachea and main bronchi.
- This external compression caused the acute upper airway obstruction.
- The presentation mimicked a foreign body obstruction.
Implications:
- Mediastinal tumors can present insidiously with airway compromise.
- Diagnosis requires thorough investigation beyond initial symptoms.
- General anesthesia in such cases carries a high risk of fatal airway obstruction.
Abstract:
We report an unusual case of acute upper airway obstruction. Inhalation of a foreign body caused choking in a 5-yr-old child, but subsequent investigations revealed a large anterior mediastinal tumour, externally compressing the trachea and the main bronchi. Such a presentation may be deceptive and is important, as general anaesthesia may result in complete airway obstruction with fatal consequences.