Anesthetic management of children with craniofacial anomalies.

Abstract

Children with craniofacial anomalies, in particular those with facial clefts and the associated syndromes of Treacher Collins, Pierre Robin, and Klippel-Fiel and craniosynostosis and its related syndromes, present some of the most hazardous and difficult challenges that anesthetists may encounter within the entire practice of pediatric anesthesia. Through this review of the embryological development of the above-listed anomalies, the specific concerns of the airway and coexisting congenital defects, the reader will develop a better understanding of each anomaly in order to create a safe anesthetic plan for the management of children with these types of craniofacial conditions.