[Anesthetic problems in a very low birth weight infant with Kasabach-Merritt syndrome]

Kasabach-Merritt syndrome is characterized by thrombocytopenia and bleeding tendency leading to disseminated intravascular coagulation with giant hemangiomas. We present a very low birth weight infant with this syndrome who underwent four operations. A male baby (1179 g, 37 cm) was born at a gestational age of 28 weeks and 6 days by caesarean section. A large hemangioma, 7 x 8 cm in size, was recognized on the left thigh. As associated consumption coagulopathy (Kasabach-Merritt syndrome) was diagnosed with platelet count 5.1 +/- 10(4) mm-3 and fibrinogen 49 mg.dl-1. Despite treatment with liniac X-ray radiation, systemic steroid and component transfusion, coagulopathy became worse with extremely low platelet count of 1.1 x 10(4) mm-3. Infusion of dopamine and dobutamine was necessary for high output cardiac failure. On day 9, PDA ligation was performed. Cerebro-ventricular drainage, ventricuro-peritoneal shunt and shunt revision were required on day 15, 49 and 88, respectively, for hydrocephalus due to intraventricular hemorrhage. Main anesthetics used were fentanyl and sevoflurane. Major problems encountered by anesthetists were: bleeding tendency, water and electrolyte management, body temperature control, and immaturity and fragility of premature infant. Coagulopathy in Kasabach-Merritt syndrome must be a risk factor for intraventricular hemorrhage, which is a characteristic complication of a very low birth weight infant.