Spontaneous atraumatic lingual haematoma presenting with threatened airway obstruction

Spontaneous bleeding in the head and neck region is exceedingly rare, particularly in the absence of trauma or an underlying disorder. We describe a case of an atraumatic lingual haematoma in an 88-year-old male presenting with threatened airway obstruction. The only risk factor our patient had was Aspirin use. Our patient was able to be managed conservatively with observation in the hospital's high dependency unit (HDU) and intravenous steroid (Dexamethasone) and antibiotic (Amoxicillin + Clavulanic acid) therapy. We discuss this case to highlight the importance of recognising an impending airway emergency in the setting of deep space bleeding or swelling.