Open AccessDifficult intubation in a neonate: a diagnostic dilemma
Author(s) -
Pankaj Kumar Mohanty,
Tapas Kumar Som,
Suvendu Purkait,
Amit Kumar Satapathy
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
bmj case reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.231
H-Index - 26
ISSN - 1757-790X
DOI - 10.1136/bcr-2018-224769
Subject(s) - medicine , intubation , autopsy , airway obstruction , histopathology , asphyxia , limp , intensive care medicine , surgery , pediatrics , airway , pathology
Difficult intubation in neonates has innumerable aetiologies. It especially poses a formidable challenge to save a newborn baby immediately after birth where antenatal details are unavailable. A late preterm neonate was born limp and apnoeic. Several attempts to intubate the baby were unsuccessful. Possibility of subglottic obstruction was considered. The baby died of severe perinatal asphyxia. Autopsy showed a mass around the airway which turned out to be ectopic thymus on histopathology. Ectopic thymus can present as periglottic mass without externally visible cervical swelling and can cause difficult intubation which may lead to serious adverse outcome including death if not anticipated early and managed accordingly.