Paediatric Case of Mediastinal Mass for USG-/CT-Guided Biopsy

Paediatric mediastinal malignancies commonly present as anterior mediastinal masses (AMM) which may compress surrounding vital cardiorespiratory mediastinal structures. Even for a diagnostic purpose, anaesthetic management in a child with AMM becomes challenging. However, safe tissue diagnosis of AMM can be achieved by a personalised multidisciplinary approach, meticulous preoperative assessment and preparation to manage any life-threatening event during the procedure. The use of alternative tissues for diagnosis, local anaesthesia, intravenous sedation with maintenance of spontaneous respiration and avoiding general anaesthesia or muscle paralysis is recommended for its successful management.