Airway Management May Not Improve in Adult Patients With Pierre Robin Sequence: A Case Report

Abstract

Infants with Pierre Robin sequence present with difficult airways due to their triad of micrognathia, glossoptosis, and cleft palate. This creates a difficult airway to intubate and ventilate. Typically, with various interventions and the growth of the mandible with age, the airway gets easier to manage into adulthood. Surgeries, such as coronoidectomy, have been found to ease the difficulty of intubation in pediatric patients, but the results are not always permanent. We present an adult with Pierre Robin sequence who continued to have a difficult airway, suggesting that airway management does not necessarily improve with age.