[Bilateral pneumothorax during awake fiberoptic intubation : A rare complication of bronchoscopy].

An 86-year-old woman was scheduled for surgical treatment of a periprosthetic femoral fracture after a fall. Because of a known difficult airway due to multiple surgeries and radiation for cancer in the orofacial area, awake fiberoptic intubation was planned. During the fiberoptic maneuver the patient experienced a massive bout of coughing which resulted in large soft tissue emphysema and double-sided pneumothorax. This case reports a rare complication of fiberoptic intubation and airway management.