Airway Management in Giant Goiter Patient with Severe Upper Airway Obstruction: a Case Report

Abstract

We reported an adult patient with large abnormal thyroid gland, that had deviation of trachea. He developed difficult breathing and orthopnea with impending airway problem. The patient rapidly came to the emergency unit because of some degrees of upper airway obstruction. Unfortunately, mask ventilation and awaked tracheal intubation via fiberoptic scope could not performed by an experienced ENT man. Finally, an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) was utilized for acceptable oxygenation. Severe upper airway obstruction is an emergency situation that need a multidisciplinary team with appropriate assessment and preparation.