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Published on: January 17, 2011
Anesthesia concerns for children with tuberous sclerosis
Steve Septer1, Edward S Thompson, Ann Willemsen-Dunlap
1Anesthesia Associates of Kansas City, Kan, USA. mav_31@hotmail.com
Insights
Tuberous sclerosis (TS) is a genetic disorder affecting multiple organs. Anesthesia care for patients with TS requires vigilance due to potential complications, emphasizing the need for increased knowledge and careful practice.
Area of Science:
- Medical Genetics
- Anesthesiology
Background:
- Tuberous sclerosis (TS) is an autosomal dominant genetic disorder.
- It is characterized by hamartomas in various organs, including the brain, skin, heart, kidneys, lungs, and liver.
- Classic symptoms include epilepsy, skin lesions, and developmental delay.
Observation:
- A 10-year-old girl with TS underwent general anesthesia for facial angiofibroma laser treatment.
- The patient presented with multiple comorbidities: hypertension, autism, seizure disorder, cardiac rhabdomyomas, developmental delay, and polycystic renal disease.
- The procedure was completed without immediate anesthetic or surgical complications.
Findings:
- Despite the uneventful procedure, the patient's complex TS presentation posed a significant risk for potential anesthetic complications.
- Awareness of the multi-organ involvement in TS is crucial for safe anesthesia management.
Implications:
- Enhanced knowledge of tuberous sclerosis and meticulous anesthetic management are vital for mitigating risks in affected patients.
- This case highlights the importance of a comprehensive pre-anesthetic evaluation for patients with complex genetic syndromes like TS.
Abstract:
Tuberous sclerosis (TS) is a relatively rare, autosomal dominant syndrome that displays high genetic penetrance in affected families. It is identified by a classic triad of symptoms including epilepsy, skin lesions, and mental retardation. Tuberous sclerosis causes hamartomas in multiple organ systems, including the brain, skin, heart, kidneys, lungs, and liver. Awareness of the signs and symptoms and the organs involved is critical to provide safe and effective anesthesia care. We describe a 10-year-old girl with TS scheduled to receive a general anesthetic for laser treatment of facial angiofibromas. The patient had several coexisting maladies from TS, including hypertension, autism, seizure disorder, cardiac rhabdomyomas, developmental delay, and bilateral polycystic renal disease. The laser procedure was performed, and there were no surgical or anesthetic complications. However, the potential for complications due to TS remained high throughout the provision of anesthesia care. Increased knowledge of TS and diligence in anesthesia practice can greatly reduce these risks.
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