International Journal of Medical Discoveries

Nasotracheal intubation is routine for oral and oropharyngeal procedures, and provides the advantages of enhanced surgical exposure and a secure airway. Complications are usually transient, i.e., epistaxis or mucosal trauma, while severe issues like turbinate dislocation are uncommonly encountered yet may masquerade as a sinonasal tumor or inflammation and pose diagnostic dilemma. The literature records paucity of information and sparse documentation on iatrogenic turbinate dislocation. The present case presents a 37-year-old male who complained of unilateral right-sided post-operative nasal obstruction and repeated epistaxis after dental surgery that required nasotracheal intubation. Endoscopy showed posterior displacement of the right middle turbinate inducing complete choanal obstruction, and a 2.2 × 1.6 cm mass-like lesion mimicking a nasopharyngeal tumor was seen on CT and MRI. Diagnosis was made on interlocking endoscopic and radiological evaluation. Definitive therapy by septoturbinoplasty and resection reversed the signs and symptoms completely and no recurrence became evident on follow-up. The present case points out that iatrogenic middle turbinal dislocation must be included in the differential for unilateral nasal obstruction and underscores the necessity for meticulous history, endoscopy, and imaging to prevent mistreatment and misdiagnosis.