Case report: Airway management of a patient with popping pedunculated subglottic laryngeal polyp.

Management of airway is a great challenge to anesthesiologists. Sometimes though airway is apparently normal but lesion around it may give a concern for securing airway. Patient, 52 years, ASA grade I presented to otolaryngology clinic with important complaints of stridor and dyspnoea. There was no comorbidity. Routine investigations were normal. Indirect laryngoscopic examination revealed pedunculated mass (polyp) arising from subglottic region, with a size of 0.7 x 0.5 cm and its pedicle was around 1.5 cm long delicate structure. This polyp was not visible during inspiration but it popped out of the vocal cords during expiration. Microlaryngeal surgery was planned to remove this polyp. Intubation of trachea was a great challenge as polyp was visible only during expiration. Tracheal intubation under controlled ventilation and neuromuscular blockade might have caused rupture of polyp pedicle or dislodgement of polyp in the trachea (as its pedicle was quite thin and delicate) which would have resulted in respiratory obstruction in the patient. Fiberoptic guided awake intubation was planned during expiratory phase of spontaneous respiration in order to avoid any injury or damage to the polyp or its pedicle.