Difficult intubation and anesthetic management in an adult patient with undiagnosed congenital tracheal stenosis: a case report

In the operating room, unanticipated difficult intubation can occur and anesthesiologists can experience challenging situations. Undiagnosed tracheal stenosis caused by congenital factors, trauma, tumors, or post-intubation injury, can make advancing the endotracheal tube difficult. We present an adult patient in whom we were unable to pass an endotracheal tube into the trachea. This was caused by undiagnosed congenital mid-tracheal stenosis with complete tracheal rings. When faced with an unanticipated difficult airway, the anesthesiologist needs to comprehend the results of preoperative evaluations. If an unusual situation (e.g., congenital tracheal stenosis) occurs, active cooperation with other departments should be considered.