Complete upper airway obstruction after induction of anesthesia in a child with undiagnosed lingual tonsil hypertrophy
MAURO ARRICA MD,
MARK W. CRAWFORD MBBS, FRCPC,
MAURO ARRICA MD
Department of Anesthesia, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
Search for more papers by this authorMARK W. CRAWFORD MBBS, FRCPC
Department of Anesthesia, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
Search for more papers by this authorMAURO ARRICA MD,
MARK W. CRAWFORD MBBS, FRCPC,
MAURO ARRICA MD
Department of Anesthesia, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
Search for more papers by this authorMARK W. CRAWFORD MBBS, FRCPC
Department of Anesthesia, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
Search for more papers by this authorMauro Arrica MD and Mark W. Crawford MBBS, FRCPC, Department of Anesthesia, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada M5G 1X8 (email: [email protected]).
Summary
We present a case of a 9-year-old patient with previously undiagnosed lingual tonsil hypertrophy (LTH) that caused sudden and complete airway obstruction and inability to ventilate on induction of anesthesia. More frequently described in adults than in children, LTH can complicate mask ventilation, intubation or both, with the potential for catastrophic consequences.
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