Tracheopathia osteochondroplastica. A cause of unexpected difficulty in tracheal intubation

A 60-year-old man presented for aortocoronary saphenous vein grafting; tracheal intubation was found to be difficult before surgery. Bronchoscopy at the time suggested tracheal carcinoma, but subsequent biopsy of the trachea demonstrated tracheopathia osteochondroplastica. The condition is described and its implications for anaesthetists are discussed.