• Sarah H Wiser and Philip M Hartigan.
• Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. swiser@partners.or
• Anesth. Analg. 2011 Mar 1;112(3):688-92.

AbstractAberrant tracheobronchial anatomy is reported at an incidence of approximately 10% and most frequently involves the segmental and subsegmental bronchi. The most relevant abnormality to the practice of anesthesiology is the presence of a tracheal bronchus. Although typically an asymptomatic finding during bronchoscopy, a tracheal bronchus has important implications for airway management and lung isolation. Coexisting abnormalities may further complicate lung isolation. We describe a patient with a tracheal bronchus, coexisting with a left-shifted carina and apically retracted left mainstem bronchus, presenting for right extrapleural pneumonectomy. Attempts to place a left-sided double-lumen endotracheal tube were unsuccessful. We discuss our solution, review the literature, and present potential solutions for lung isolation in patients with a tracheal bronchus.

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