Anesthetic management of a patient with Cornelia De Lange syndrome

Cornelia de Lange syndrome presents various problems for anesthetic management, which include anatomical anomalies of face and extremities, cardiopulmonary and endocrine disorders, renal dysfunction, epileptic EEG waves, and mental retardation. The choice of anesthetic procedure must be carefully considered in view of these abnormalities. We administered halothane anesthesia to an 11-year-old child with this syndrome who needed dental treatment. Anesthesia and postoperative course were uneventful, with the exception of a transient bronchospasm-like attack during anesthesia.