[Anesthetic Management of a Patient with von Recklinghausen Disease after Surgeries for Thoracic and Spinal Neurofibroma].

Abstract

Von Recklinghausen disease is an autosomal domi- nant neurocutaneous disorder, characterized by cuta- neous neurofibromas, accompanied by café-au-lait spots. We report a case of a 51-year-old man with von Recklinghausen disease who had been operated on for thoracic and spinal neurofibroma. Exploratory thoracotomy was performed under general anesthesia combined with epidural anesthesia. After tracheal intubation with spiral tube, one lung ventilation was performed using blocker tube. General anesthesia was maintained by inhalation of oxygen, air, and desflurane and the continuous infusion of remifentanil. The opera- tive course was uneventful. The patient emerged from general anesthesia smoothly, and was extubated safely. There was no neurological abnormality after operation. Preoperative evaluation of airway status and neuro- logical findings are essential in the anesthetic management of the patient with von Recklinghausen disease. This case suggests that we must take the complication into account for anesthetic management and select the appropriate anesthetic method by routine preoperative estimation. It is of great importance that anesthesiologists evaluate the airway status and neurological find- ings of patients with von Recklinghausen disease.