[Anesthesia for a patient with olivopontocerebellar atrophy]

Olivopontocerebellar atrophy (OPCA) is one of the spinocerebellar degenerative diseases. Reports of patients complicated with OPCA are scarce in anesthetic literature. We managed a 79-year-old woman with sialolithiasis of the left submandibular gland complicated with OPCA. She underwent a removal of the gland under general anesthesia using oxygen, nitrous oxide, and isoflurane (0.6-2.0%). Blood pressure decreased transiently after induction of anesthesia, but, no vasopressors were needed to maintain the blood pressure during the surgery. There were no untoward cardio-respiratory events after the surgery. Perioperative anesthetic management of patients with OPCA is also discussed.