title: Anaesthetic management of two different cases of mediastinal mass.
abstract: We report the management of two paediatric cases undergoing median sternotomy and right lateral thoracotomy for mediastinal mass. An 8-year-old boy presented with a history of intermittent fever and episodes of respiratory illness since 3 years and a 16-year-old girl presented with dyspnoea, cough, fever and dysphagia for solid foods. Radiological investigation confirmed the diagnoses. Absence of pressure symptoms pointed towards a compressible mass in the boy and indicated a non-compressible mass in the girl. We discuss the anaesthetic management of the younger patient with an uneventful course as opposed to the older patient where airway obstruction ensued soon after induction and led to near-cardiopulmonary arrest necessitating rescue measures. Swift measures at securing airway while simultaneously resuscitating the patient served to successfully revert an otherwise fateful eventuality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology, JSS Medical College and Hospital, Mysore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Hemalatha
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Subbanna
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology, JSS Medical College and Hospital, Mysore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Poola N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Viswanathan
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology, JSS Medical College and Hospital, Mysore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Manjula B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Puttaswamy
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology, JSS Medical College and Hospital, Mysore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Ashwini
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Andini
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology, JSS Medical College and Hospital, Mysore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Tulsi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Thimmegowda
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology, JSS Medical College and Hospital, Mysore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Sondekoppa N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Bhagirath
keywords: Airway obstruction; general anaesthesia; lateral thoracotomy; median sternotomy; mediastinal mass