Serious complications secondary to Venturi jet ventilation used during microlaryngoscopy are rare, but when they occur, they may pose a life-threatening emergency. We report the case of a 45-year-old woman, previously treated with 70 Gy of irradiation for a T1 laryngeal carcinoma, who developed pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema after the use of Venturi jet ventilation. Keeping in mind the histologic changes to the irradiated structures, we suggest more caution when using Venturi jet ventilation in patients who have recently undergone neck irradiation therapy.
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