[Anesthetic management of a patient with Freeman-Sheldon syndrome]

The Freeman-Sheldon syndrome is a rare congenital myopathy and dysplasia that results in deformity of the face, hands, and feet. We describe here some problems in general anesthesia from the anesthetic management point of view. An 8-year-old girl with Freeman-Sheldon syndrome underwent surgery under general anesthesia for the correction of lip deformity and microstomia. Patients with this syndrome may present anesthetic problems involving difficulties in endotracheal intubation due to microstomia, micrognathia and neck rigidity, as well as postoperative respiratory complications and problems that relate to myogenetic morphology and myofunctional abnormalities. Preoperatively, we analyzed X-ray cephalograms to evaluate the difficulty of endotracheal intubation. Fiberscopic endotracheal intubation was performed; the time required was 55 minutes. On recovery from anesthesia and after becoming fully responsive, she was extubated in the operating room without any complications. Postoperative recovery was uneventful. Patients with Freeman-Sheldon syndrome should be managed by good preanesthetic preparation, and attention should be paid to postoperative respiratory complications due to the use of muscle relaxants and to securing intravenous access.