Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is a rare, aggressive malignancy often causing life-threatening tracheal compression. We present a 67-year-old male with ATC and critical airway obstruction, managed with tracheal stenting under general anaesthesia (GA). The patient exhibited stridor, dyspnoea and significant tracheal narrowing (6 mm) on imaging, requiring emergent intervention. Preoperative challenges included difficult airway anatomy, poor respiratory reserve and uncooperativeness. A multidisciplinary team opted for self-expanding metallic stent placement under GA with preserved spontaneous ventilation. High-flow nasal oxygenation, dexmedetomidine infusion and topical lignocaine facilitated airway management, while an I-gel supraglottic airway allowed intermittent jet ventilation during stent deployment. This case highlights the importance of meticulous airway planning, multidisciplinary collaboration and tailored anaesthetic techniques in managing critical tracheal stenosis.
Ravi et al. (Thu,) studied this question.