Difficult Airway Management in a Low Birth Weight Infant Using an Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscope

: We report a successful tracheal intubation in a low birth weight infant with difficult airway by using an upper gastrointestinal endoscope. A 1-day-old female weighing 1.8 kg having micrognathia, lateral facial cleft, and bilateral microtia suggestive of Goldenhar syn- drome complicated with total anomalous pulmonary venous connection was scheduled for surgical repair of duodenal atresia. Awake intubation was planned because of anticipated difficult intubation. Direct laryn- goscopy with Miller blade (size 0) after intravenous lidocaine did not visualize the larynx or epiglottis (Cor- mack-Lehane grade 4). After several failed attempts at intubation using BURP procedure, Pentax Airway Scope? equipped with a neonatal-type Intlock* (ITL- N) was tried but a good view of the larynx was not obtained because of the narrow oral cavity and copious secretion. After failed attempts with Airway Scope?, an upper gastrointestinal endoscope was inserted into the oral cavity and equipped insufflation and suctioning of the secretion were utilized, which provided a good view of the vocal cords and enabled nasotracheal intu- bation. An upper gastrointestinal endoscope could provide a good view of the larynx by using insufflation, and suc- tioning, and can be one of the useful devices for tra- cheal intubation of difficult airway.