This retrospective study analyzed the cases of difficult intubations carried out with a fiberoptic bronchoscope between March 1984 and May 1989. During this period, 222 such procedures were attempted in 131 male and 68 female patients. All cases were diagnosed at the preoperative visit. A fiberoptic bronchoscope was used as a guide under topical nasal and laryngeal anaesthesia, together with appropriate benzodiazanalgesia, in order to maintain spontaneous breathing. The nasotracheal route was used in 218 cases. Successful intubation was achieved in 219 cases (98.6%), 209 of them (95.4%) within fifteen minutes. Of the three failures, only one was unpredictable (inability to withdraw the fiberoptic bronchoscope from the endotracheal tube). In the two others, the technique was subsequently found to have been wrongly indicated: major nasopharyngeal secretions occluded the fiberoptic device in the first one, and an anatomically compromised airway led to apnoea under sedation in the other. A narrow nasotracheal passage, spreading oedema, bloody secretions or coughing gave rise to technical difficulties in 39 cases (17.5%). There was one case of regurgitation without any drawback. Benzodiazanalgesia was responsible for two cases of respiratory depression. This technique was otherwise very satisfactory, patients being cooperative and frequently having amnesia of intubation. The indications for the use of a fiberoptic bronchoscope were: insufficient oral opening, orofacial obstacles to laryngoscopy, and cases where laryngoscopy had to be avoided. The main drawbacks of this technique were the cost and fragility of fiberoptic device as well as operator efficiency. The anaesthesiologists involved in the present series performed ten easy intubations each with the fiberoptic bronchoscope, and routinely used the teaching eye-piece.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)