Awake video laryngoscope intubation: case report of a patient with a nasopharyngeal mass.

Difficult airway management remains central to anesthesia practice. Video laryngoscopes have been an adjunct to airway management since the early 2000s. They have been shown to improve visualization of the glottic opening and have become a useful aid in managing difficult airways. To date, the preferred method for difficult airway management remains awake fiberoptic intubation. The purpose of this article is to summarize the use of a video laryngoscope for an awake intubation and to suggest alternative uses of these devices in other awake intubation scenarios. The case report presented offers a description of successful awake intubation using a video laryngoscope in a patient with a large pedunculated mass arising from the nasopharynx and extending down into the oropharynx.