Upper airway hematoma: An unusual presentation of acute upper airway obstruction

Abstract

Acute upper airway obstruction secondary to supraglottic hematoma is a rare but life-threatening complication of oral anticoagulants, particularly with warfarin. Symptoms include sore throat, dysphagia, odynophagia, dysphonia, neck swelling, and dyspnea. We are reporting a case of an elderly male on warfarin therapy who developed acute upper airway obstruction due to spontaneous supraglottic hemorrhage. Commonly reported sites of spontaneous bleeding are the sublingual and retropharyngeal spaces.