This chapter discusses the minimal synopsis of selected airway pathology in terms of associated anesthetic and airway implications. The case types covered are those where awake intubation by some means is often the method of choice. Epiglottitis can occur in adults too but the situation is less dreadful because the adult airway is larger. Retropharyngeal abscess formation may occur from bacterial infection of the retropharyngeal space secondary to tonsillar or dental infections. Airway tumors can be benign or malignant, but regardless of type, suffocation from airway obstruction is always a potential concern. Nasal polyps and polyps elsewhere in the airway can lead to partial or complete airway obstruction. Patients with laryngeal papillomatosis caused by a HPV infection may require frequent application of laser treatment for attempted eradication of the papillomas. Since Ludwig's angina is often associated with trismus, nasal fiberoptic intubation is frequently needed.

Airway-related problems are the most common critical incidents in paediatric anaesthesia and are four times more common in infants than in older children. This chapter discusses anatomical and physiological differences in the paediatric airway. Straight laryngoscope blades are useful in infants up to about the age of 3 to 6 months. In contrast to the tracheal tube (TT), paediatric laryngeal mask airways (LMAs) are sized according to patient weight. There are a number of syndromes and pathologies that are known to be associated with difficult airway management. There are a number of causes, both congenital and acquired, of airway obstruction in the child. The general principles of airway management are the same regardless of underlying cause, however, there are two scenarios that deserve special attention: inhalation of a foreign body, and acute epiglottitis. Rapid sequence induction is not a standard in paediatric practice.