Considerations to Prevent Intraoperative Fluid Spillage Into the Airway From a Bronchogenic Cyst During Anesthesia: A Case Report.

In patients with bronchogenic cysts, spillage of cyst contents into the airway during anesthesia and surgery has been reported. Methods to prevent this complication are not definitive. A 21-year-old man with a large bronchogenic cyst was scheduled for cyst excision during which large quantities of purulent fluid spilled into the airway immediately after induction of anesthesia. This was due to unmasking of the existing communication between the cyst and the bronchial tree. Preoperative percutaneous drainage of the cyst contents, awake intubation, and lung isolation with a bronchial blocker before paralyzing and positioning the patient may be helpful.