Anaesthetic implications of Cornelia de Lange syndrome

Cornelia de Lange syndrome is a congenital disease characterized basically by psychomotor retardation associated with a series of malformations (mainly skeletal craniofacial deformities together with gastrointestinal and cardiac malformations). We present the case of a patient who underwent trauma surgery, discuss the anaesthetic problems involved and their relationship to the malformations that constitute this syndrome.     

Gastroesophageal dysfunction in Cornelia de Lange syndrome

Children with Cornelia de Lange (CDL) syndrome present with feeding problems related to swallowing incoordination, poor esophageal motility, and gastroesophageal reflux (GER). These abnormalities of esophageal function result in failure to thrive and life-threatening aspiration pneumonia. Severe GER was documented in four patients with CDL syndrome. Three were managed successfully with an antireflux procedure (Nissen fundoplication) and a concomitant feeding gastrostomy. These observations confirm the high incidence of abnormal esophageal function in patients with CDL syndrome, and suggest that an antireflux procedure and feeding gastrostomy are important considerations in their clinical management.     

Anesthesiologic considerations in Cornelia de Lange syndrome

BACKGROUND: Retrospective study in pediatric patients with Cornelia de Lange syndrome undergoing different surgical operations, in order to critically evaluate the anesthesiologic aspects of this syndrome. METHODS: Between January 1997 and December 1998, 42 patients undergoing diagnostic examinations (esophagogastroscopy, oculistic visit) or surgery (total exodontia, fundoplicatio for esophageal reflux, correction of labiopalatoschisis) have been studied. The anaesthesiologic technique has been similar for all the cases. RESULTS: Any particular difficulty or inconvenience in comparison with patients with the same range of age, or particular intraoperative difficulties have been observed. In only one patient the McCoy laryngoscope was used due to difficult intubation (Cormack and Lehane III). CONCLUSIONS: Short neck, ogive palatum, cleft palate, micrognatia, urogenital and gastroenteric anomalies, esophageal reflux, together with heart defects (15% of cases), can complicate the peri and postoperative period in these patients. A careful preoperative evaluation and a careful perioperative management, may decrease anesthetic complications in Cornelia de Lange syndrome to the same range of normal patients.     

Cosmetic surgery for Cornelia de Lange syndrome

A case of Cornelia de Lange syndrome is presented in which modern plastic surgery was used to reduce excessive facial hair. Hairless forehead skin was enlarged using a tissue expander and earlobes were resurfaced.     

Cornelia de Lange syndrome and congenital diaphragmatic hernia

PurposeThere is a known association between Cornelia de Lange syndrome (CdLS) and congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), with CDH being the cause of death in 5%–20% of CdLS cases. We aimed to identify and describe patients with CDLS and CDH. We hypothesized that CdLS would be associated with high-risk CDH and poor outcomes.MethodsCDH Study Group patients from 1995 to 2019 were included. Those with CdLS were reviewed retrospectively. Rates of repair and outcomes were compared between patients with and without CdLS.ResultsWe identified 9,251 CDH patients. Of those, 21 had confirmed CdLS. CdLS patients had a lower birth weight (2.2 ± 0.57 kg) than non-CdLS patients (2.9 ± 0.64 kg) (p < 0.001). 5-min Apgar scores were lower in CdLS patients (6, 4–7) than non-CdLS patients (7, 5–8) (p = 0.014). Only 33% of CdLS patients underwent diaphragmatic repair compared to 84.2% of non-CdLS patients (p < 0.001). Mortality was 76% for CdLS patients compared with 29% for non-CdLS patients (p < 0.001). Of the 7 CdLS patients who underwent repair, 5 survived to hospital discharge.ConclusionsInfants with CdLS and CDH have a poor prognosis. However, CdLS patients who undergo repair can survive to discharge; therefore, the concomitant diagnosis of CdLS and CDH is not necessarily a contraindication to repair. Early recognition of these anomalies can assist with counseling and prognostication.Type of studyRetrospective comparative studyLevel of evidenceIII     

Anesthetic management in a patient with Cornelia de Lange syndrome

An eight-year-old boy with Cornelia de Lange syndrome underwent left inguinal hernioplasty and orchiopexy under general anesthesia. The patient with Cornelia de Lange syndrome had severe primordial growth failure with muscle-skeletal system such as cleft palate, micrognathia, and micromelia of the extremities and mental retardation as well as characteristic faces such as deep supercilia, etc. We suspected difficulty of endotracheal intubation due to this syndrome. Anesthesia was induced with intravenous injection of atropine 0.1 mg and ketamine 10 mg followed by inhalation of nitrous oxide 3 l x min(-1), oxygen 3 l x min(-1), and sevoflurane 5% without any muscle relaxant. Although his neck and temporomandibular joint were stiff, his trachea was intubated orally without difficulty with a 4.5 mm ID tracheal tube using a Macintosh laryngoscope. Anesthesia was maintained uneventfully by bolus intravenous injection of ketamine 5 mg and inhalation of oxygen and sevoflurane 2-3% with mechanical ventilation. The anesthetic management in a patient with Cornelia de Lange syndrome should be carried out with careful preoperative evaluation of physical status, and especially the difficult endotracheal intubation should be kept in mind. Induction of general anesthesia with injection of ketamine followed by inhalation of sevoflurane without muscle relaxant is a safe method in Cornelia de Lange syndrome.     

A case of Cornelia de Lange syndrome with retentio testis

A 6-year-old boy whose chief complaint was retentio testis was referred to our clinic. He had mental retardation, shortness of stature of prenatal onset, retarded growth, microbrachycephaly, bushy eyebrows, long eyelashes, low-set ears and micromelia, and was diagnosed to have Cornelia de Lange syndrome. As in most cases of Cornelia de Lange syndrome the cause of our case was not clear, and chromosome analysis showed a 46,XY constitution. In our case, we performed bilateral orchidopexy for retentio testis because of the problem of fertility and the danger of malignancy. Cornelia de Lange syndrome is rare and the urologic literature dealing with this disease has never been reported in Japan. The clinical features of this disease are discussed in the present report.     

General anesthesia for a patient with Cornelia de Lange syndrome

Cornelia de Lange syndrome involves anomalies in cardio-vascular and musculo-skeletal systems, and mental retardation. In addition, a patient with this syndrome shows a peculiar look. A 22-year-old woman with Cornelia de Lange syndrome underwent general anesthesia twice. She has a small mouth, thin lips, a short neck, short limbs, and stiffness of the neck and some joints associated with slight mental retardation. She was scheduled for arthroscopy and then for rotational acetabular osteotomy and valgus osteotomy. The maximum distance between the upper and lower incisors was 34 mm, when she opened her mouth. Anesthesia was induced with sevoflurane increased slowly to 7.0% in oxygen 6 l.min-1 in both procedures. After the administration of 4% lidocaine 3.5 ml into the pharynx, orotracheal intubation was attempted, but was not successful. Then blind naso-tracheal intubation was performed successfully under spontaneous respiration under sevoflurane-oxygen inhalation. The induction of anesthesia with sevoflurane under spontaneous respiration was useful for blind naso-tracheal intubation in a case with difficult intubation such as in Cornelia de Lange syndrome.     

Anesthetic management of an infant with Cornelia de Lange syndrome

We report anesthetic management of an infant with Cornelia de Lange syndrome. A 12-month-old girl with Cornelia de Lange syndrome was scheduled for ureterocystoneostomy because of vesicoureteral reflux. Preoperative physical examination suggested difficult tracheal intubation. After induction of anesthesia with sevoflurane (5%) in nitrous oxide (70%) and oxygen, a laryngeal mask airway (# 1.5) was inserted. A guide wire was inserted in the trachea through a laryngeal mask airway under direct vision of a fiberoptic bronchoscope. A tube-exchanger stylet was inserted around the guide wire after the laryngeal mask airway and fiberoptic bronchoscope had been removed. An endotracheal tube (ID 4.0 mm) was easily intubated around the tube-exchanger stylet. During the surgery, anesthesia was maintained with sevoflurane (2-3%) in nitrous oxide (50%) and oxygen. There was no perioperative pulmonary complication.     

Spinal anesthesia in a child with Brachmann-de Lange (Cornelia de Lange) syndrome

Providing anesthesia to patients with Brachmann-de Lange syndrome (BdLS) may be challenging, mainly because of intubation difficulty, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and aspiration complications. The use of spinal anesthesia (SA) in this population has not been reported. We report the uneventful administration of awake SA to a 7-month-old girl with BdLS who was scheduled for rectal biopsy. The current literature is reviewed to discuss the indications for SA in those patients.     

Cornelia de Lange syndrome: A rare case,presented with unilateral pes equinovarus

Cornelia de Lange syndrome is a genetic disorder with multiple system abnormalities. It is especially characterized by typical facial appearance and hirsutism. Growth and mental retardation, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and orthopedic abnormalities are other important features of this syndrome. In this case, we present a rare manifestation of Cornelia de Lange syndrome with a unilateral pes equinovarus deformity without other more specific orthopedic manifestations. Ponseti method's was applied as the initial procedure. Afterwards, complete subtalar release was performed. After four years follow-up, clinical and radiological results were satisfactory. Unilateral pes equinovarus deformity may be a part of this syndrome as well as a sporadic presentation. The discrimination is important for anesthetic procedures and surgical outcomes.     

Modified Orticochea pharyngoplasty for the correction of a feeding problem associated with Cornelia de Lange syndrome

Cornelia de Lange syndrome is a collection of congenital anomalies. Its victims present considerable burdens in home care, not the least of which is feeding. The use of the modified Orticochea pharyngoplasty for correction of nasal food emission affords the opportunity for application of plastic surgical principles to seemingly unrelated clinical events. The salient features of the syndrome are presented, and the literature is reviewed.