[Respiratory obstruction during anesthesia in cases of mediastinal malignant lymphoma]

Three cases of asphyxia at the beginning of general anaesthesia for mediastinoscopy or biopsy of adenopathy are described in patients with malignant lymphoma. One of them died in spite of endobronchial intubation, artificial ventilation and steroids. The two others recovered when specific chemotherapy was added to the same symptomatic treatment. The risk of respiratory obstruction seems higher in non-Hodgkin than in Hodgkin lymphomas. This kind of obstruction is not relieved by an antiasthmatic therapy. Pulmonary lymphatic filtration may be hindered in case of mediastinal lymphoma, especially during anaesthetic induction, and pulmonary interstitial congestion may occur impeding gas propagation. Specific chemotherapy according to the histological type of the tumour may relieve the compression and respiratory obstruction in a few hours.