Presentation of occult Chiari I malformation following spinal anesthesia

Chiari I malformation (CM-I) manifests with tonsillar herniation below foramen magnum. These patients are at high risk of respiratory depression and bulbar dysfunction in the perioperative period with underlying obstructive sleep apnea. However, the safe use of both general and regional anaesthesia...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Indian Journal of Anaesthesia
Main Authors: Saravanan P Ankichetty, Saleh Khunein, Lashmi Venkatraghavan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2012-01-01
Subjects:
Occult Chiari I malformation
respiratory depression
spinal anaesthesia
Online Access:http://www.ijaweb.org/article.asp?issn=0019-5049;year=2012;volume=56;issue=6;spage=579;epage=581;aulast=Ankichetty
Description
Summary:Chiari I malformation (CM-I) manifests with tonsillar herniation below foramen magnum. These patients are at high risk of respiratory depression and bulbar dysfunction in the perioperative period with underlying obstructive sleep apnea. However, the safe use of both general and regional anaesthesia has been documented in a known CM-I parturients. We describe the successful management of a patient who had hypercapnic respiratory failure in the post-anaesthetic care unit following an uneventful subarachnoid block for left knee replacement surgery. This patient was retrospectively diagnosed with occult CM-I and moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea in the postoperative period.
ISSN:0019-5049

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