Airway management in a rare case of congenital palate teratoma with a cleft palate: A case report

Abstract

Airway management in neonates is difficult because of the risk of rapid hypoxia. It presents a challenge even for an experienced anesthesiologist. Oral tumors in neonates can obstruct the airway or feeding problems in the newborn. Surgical excision is the treatment of choice but these tumors can seriously worsen the conditions of intubation. To surmount these difficulties, a particular multidisciplinary approach and special precautions are needed. We describe the airway management and precautions taken in the anesthesia for surgical removal of a case of large congenital palate teratoma associated with a wide cleft palate in a 25-day-old girl. Impossible intubation was predicted on magnetic resonance imaging. The difficult airway management cart as well as an otorhinolaryngologist skilled in performing emergency tracheostomies in neonates were available. The patient was intubated by conventional laryngoscopy under sevoflurane inhalation anesthesia. The tumor was successfully resected. This case poses a challenge for managing the airway because of the possibility of obstruction of the airway and the difficulty of the airway that radiological exams have allowed us. So, a multidisciplinary team effort is needed for successful neonatal airway management.