• J Sanchez Morillo, C Solaz Roldan, M Richard Aznar, L Mompó Romero, G Barber Ballester, and J Santamaría Vázquez.
• Servicio de Anestesiología y Reanimación, Hospital Universitario Dr. Peset, Valencia. jorgesm@nexo.net
• Rev Esp Anestesiol Reanim. 2010 Feb 1;57(2):91-4.

AbstractIndirect inspection of the airway using a 70 degrees rigid laryngoscope plus a flexible nasal fiberoptic scope can provide additional information when the anesthesiologist foresees that airway management will be difficult. These devices are useful for detecting structural abnormalities, they can be attached to the same visualization system, and they do not require topical anesthesia or sedation of the patient. We report on 3 patients diagnosed with difficult airway. Inspection with a rigid laryngoscope during the preanesthetic assessment visit revealed abnormalities that prevented visualization of the glottis. In the first case, the epiglottis was absent, as it had been removed with a surrounding tumor; in the second and third cases, an epiglottic deformity and hypertrophy of the base of the tongue were found. A flexible nasal fiberoptic scope gave an unobstructed view of the glottis in these cases, making it easier to choose an intubation method.

36 keywords...

hide…