We report on a case of difficult endotracheal intubation in a patient with marked tracheal deviation at an angle of 90 degrees combined with stenosis due to kyphoscoliosis with vertebral body fusion. After induction of general anesthesia, a proper laryngeal view was easily obtained using a videolaryngoscope. But a tracheal tube could not be advanced more than 3 cm beyond the vocal cords due to resistance, despite various attempts, including the use of small size tubes, full rotation of the tube tip, and fiberoptic bronchoscopy. Ultimately, the airway was successfully secured by placing a tube tip above the area of resistance and by additionally packing saline-soaked gauzes around the tracheal inlet to minimize gas leakage and to fasten the tube in the trachea.

Gallstone ileus is a rare complication of the biliary stone, occurring in 0.3-0.5% of patients with cholelithiasis. The mortality rate is high at 12-27% and early diagnosis and prompt management can improve its prognosis. An 83-yearold woman was admitted to the hospital with abdominal pain. The patient previously had a hysterectomy and had received radiation therapy for uterine cancer. Plain abdominal x-ray showed typical findings of small bowel ileus with step ladder patterns. Computed tomography (CT) scan revealed biliary-enteric fistula with a 3-cm-sized gallstone in the jejunal loop. Surgical treatment was planned but due to the patient's wish, conservative treatment was provided for 10 days. In the follow-up CT scan, the stone had moved to the distal ileum but intestinal perforation was suspected. Ileocecectomy and adhesiolysis were performed and the patient recovered fully. Here we report a case of gallstone ileus that was treated by surgical removal after 10 days of conservative treatment.

Gout occurs as a response to monosodium urate crystal, that is present in joints, bones and soft tissue. The classic symptoms of gouty arthritis are recurrent attacks of acute, markedly painful monoarticular or oligoarticular inflammation; but polyarthritis and chronic arthritis can also occur. Differential diagnosis from infectious arthritis is important. A definitive diagnosis requires the direct identification of urate crystals in the joint, and the exclusion of infection. We report the case of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), developed from acute polyarticular gout. SIRS is characterized by loss of local control of inflammation, or an overly activated response resulting in an exaggerated systemic response. The SIRS was presumably due to systemic effects of a localized inflammatory response to urate crystals.