Case 6—1998 perioperative anesthetic management of a patient presenting for resection of a tracheal mass

Anesthetic management of a 9‐year‐old child undergoing resection of a tracheal tumor

“…Although several cases have been previously reported (2–7), this is the youngest patient, as far as we know. The patients previously reported (including this one) have been mistakenly treated for bronchial asthma because symptoms of the tracheal tumor (cough, dyspnea, wheezing, and stridor) resemble those of bronchial asthma (3,5–7). Therefore, tracheal tumor should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients with these symptoms, especially if the symptoms are unresponsive to conventional therapy.…”

“…However, if the tumor is near the carina, it is difficult to maintain oxygenation during resection and reconstruction. In such cases, spontaneous breathing combined with high frequency ventilation (8) and femorofemoral bypass (7) are reportedly effective for maintaining oxygenation.…”

“…Primary tracheal tumors are uncommon in adults and rare in children (1,2). In many cases, the tumor requires surgical treatment under general anesthesia (3–7). Considering the risk of tumor‐related respiratory distress or ventilation failure during general anesthesia, it is important to carefully evaluate the exact location of the tumor and the degree of obstruction preoperatively and to prepare for the possibility of an emergency intraoperative airway.…”