A Pitfall of Wheezing – A Large Mediastinal Mass Presenting as Persistent Wheezing: A Case Report

Anchoring bias is the tendency to pursue only the most salient feature, which can lead to closed-minded thinking in the early stage of the diagnostic process. Wheezes are one of the most frequent chief complaints and highly likely to become an anchoring bias. We described a patient initially receiving a diagnosis of asthma after presenting with persistent wheezes; however, there was no improvement upon treatment for asthma and eventually, an anterior mediastinal mass was found. The patient’s respiratory condition suddenly deteriorated when he was placed in a prone position and eventually extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) was introduced. We must recognize the danger of anchoring bias with any symptoms. A wheezing patient with an atypical clinical course should undergo further investigations, given the possibility of other etiologies such as a mediastinal tumor. In addition, we have to pay close attention to the patient’s position when a mediastinal tumor is suspected.