Tuberculosis of upper dorsal spine causing respiratory distress due to tracheo-oesophageal compression: an unusual presentation.

A cold abscess causing tracheo-oesophageal compression is quite unusual. A case of a 5-year-old boy with caries spine of D3-D4 vertebrea with respiratory distress due to mediastinal cold abscess pressing over trachea is being reported. Urgent costotransversectomy was done to decompress the cold abscess. There was immediate relief of airway compression which was evident from fall in airway pressure from 39 cm H2O to 29 cm H2O. The child was extubated on the 5th postoperative day and discharged on the 15th postoperative day in good condition.