Abstract
Background. Large, compressive thyroid masses are usually removed as an elective procedure. Rarely is a patient's condition allowed to progress to severe respiratory distress before surgical intervention is recommended. When allowed to progress, management of the airway can be problematic. Methods. A case report of a patient with a neglected thyroid lymphoma is presented. Results. The natural progression of the disease, leading to impending airway collapse, necessitated emergency management of the airway. Due to supraglottic edema and a large neck mass, traditional methods of securing the airway were not feasible. Initiation of femoral-femoral cardiopulmonary bypass, under local anesthesia, ensured adequate oxygenation and allowed a controlled tracheotomy to be performed. Conclusions. The result obtained suggests that this approach provides a safe solution for airway control when intubation or a surgically created airway is either unsuccessful or too hazardous.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 266-269 |
Number of pages | 4 |
Journal | Head and Neck |
Volume | 20 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - May 1998 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Cardiopulmonary bypass
- Difficult airway
- Lymphoma
- Thyroid
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Otorhinolaryngology