General anaesthesia in a patient with undiagnosed "saber-sheath" trachea

Abstract

Saber-sheath trachea describes an abnormality in the shape of the trachea caused by underlying disease processes. We present a case of tracheal stenosis in a patient with undiagnosed saber-sheath trachea, in which there was unexpected difficulty in ventilating the lungs despite a good view at laryngoscopy and visually confirmed tracheal intubation.