Endobronchial intubation in tracheal stenosis: An uncommonly reported complication

Abstract

Tracheal stenosis is a life-threatening condition resulting from various causes like congenital, postintubation injury, trauma, inhalational burns, irradiation, tracheal tumor, extrinsic compression of trachea by tumor and idiopathic [1]. Though the exact prevalence is unknown, the estimated incidence of postintubation tracheal stenosis is 4.9 cases per million per year [2]. Airway management of patient with previously undiagnosed tracheal stenosis after induction of anaesthesia is a challenging task. Airway management of tracheal stenosis is commonly complicated by failure of passage of endotracheal tube (ETT), but our case was perplexed by occurrence of left sided endobronchial intubation.