ABSTRACT
We experienced two cases of unexpected difficult airway due to lingual tonsil hyperplasia. The first patient, a 13-year-old girl, was scheduled for plastic surgery. After induction of general anesthesia, direct laryngoscopy was performed but it was not possible to expose the epiglottis because of hypertrophic lingual tonsils. The second patieut, a 17-year-old man arrived at the emergency room with cardiopulmonary arrest. The first attempt at orotracheal intubation failed, as the pharinx could not be visualized due to lingual tonsil hyperplasia and edema. During preparations for tracheostomy, the trachea was sucssefully intubated via the oral route. Both patients had undergone adenotonsillectomy under school age, causing compensatory hypertrophy of the tonsils.
