Abstract Introduction Airway foreign bodies are emergencies involving multidisciplinary departments like Pediatrics, Aneasthesiology and Otorhinolaryngology. It is always a challenge to diagnose and manage patients who present late to our emergencies. Objective In the present study, we aim to analyze the various challenges faced during the management of tracheobronchial foreign bodies with delayed presentation. Methods A retrospective hospital record-based analysis of patients who presented to us with tracheobronchial foreign bodies from January 2017 to February 2020 was performed. All patients until the age of 16 years old were included in the present study. We assessed the demographics, preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative data of the patients. Results Seventeen patients were analyzed in the study. Among these, 44.4% of the patients had delayed presentation (> 1 month). The majority of the patients had an organic foreign body (Supari or betel nut). All patients underwent rigid bronchoscopy, followed by optical forceps-assisted removal of the foreign body. A total of 82% of the patients had granulations around the foreign body. Conclusion Management of delayed presentation tracheobronchial foreign body is a big challenge for Otorhinolaryngologists. The key factors for preventing complications in the definitive management of tracheobronchial foreign bodies are preoperative planning, multi-discipline teamwork, surgeon expertise and technique.

ABSTRACT Cervical thymic cysts are relatively rare benign cystic lesions that tend to be diagnosed clinically as branchial cysts, which usually present as painless, enlarging neck masses. They can occur anywhere along the normal path of descent of thymic primordia from the angle of the mandible to the sternal notch, with mediastinal extension observed in approximately 50% of cases. They are usually seen in the first decade of life on the left side with a male predominance. Here we report a case of a 15-year-old boy who presented to the hospital with left-sided neck swelling for about 2 months. The neck’s contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) revealed a large, well-defined cystic swelling in the left neck region, showing peripheral enhancement, seen from the submandibular region to the superior mediastinum extending into the retrosternal region. Direct fine needle aspiration (FNA) was done, which showed a benign lesion with inflammatory and cystic characteristics, leading to the possibility of a branchial cyst. The cyst was completely excised surgically. Histopathology showed a thymic cyst with parathyroid tissue. The presence of thymic tissue with Hassall’s corpuscles is essential for the diagnosis. Knowledge of the clinical presentation, cyto-histological findings, and differential diagnosis of cystic cervical lesions in the pediatric population is important to diagnose this rare entity. Hence, though uncommon, when one comes across a cystic cervical region mass in children, a diagnosis of cervical thymic cyst should be kept in mind. Nonetheless, a definitive diagnosis depends on imaging findings as well as intraoperative findings and histopathological examination.

Abstract The number of critically-ill coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) patients requiring mechanical ventilation is on the rise. Most guidelines suggest keeping the patient intubated and delay elective tracheostomy. Although the current literature does not support early tracheostomy, the number of patients undergoing it is increasing. During the pandemic, it is important that surgeons and anesthesiologists know the different aspects of tracheostomy in terms of indication, procedure, tube care and complications. A literature search was performed to identify different guidelines and available evidence on tracheostomy in Covid-19 patients. The purpose of the present article is to generate an essential scientific evidence for life-saving tracheostomy procedures.