Abstractβ-thalassemia are a group of inherited blood disorders with reduced hemoglobin levels. β-thalassemia major is the severe form of disease, and the patients often display an array of associated organ dysfunction which thus increase the risk associated with surgery and anesthesia. Patients with β-thalassemia major can have multiple pathological defects that may lead to thromboembolic events. Here, we report such a case who was complicated by occurrence of cerebral sinus thrombosis and presented for decompressive hemicraniectomy under general anesthesia. The anesthetic challenges during in such scenario have been discussed.
✓ The authors present a rare case of fatal cerebral and cerebellar hemorrhagic infarction following an uneventful thoracoscopic microdiscectomy. They hypothesize that this complication was associated with cortical venous thrombosis secondary to intracranial hypotension, which was caused by an unnoticed leak of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) into the thoracic cavity. Cortical venous thrombosis and intrathoracic CSF were confirmed at autopsy. The former disorder is the most severe manifestation of the pathophysiological mechanism occurring to a lesser degree in patients affected by mild intracranial hypotension, and occurs more frequently in these patients. Intracranial hypotension (of an orthostatic nature or not) must be considered in the differential diagnosis of every patient who complains of headaches after thoracoscopic or open transthoracic microdiscectomy.
Isolated cortical venous thrombosis (ICVT) occurring in the absence of dural venous thrombosis, constitutes about 2%–5% of all cerebral venous thrombosis. Its vague, non-specific presentation makes it a difficult and challenging diagnosis that needs an extensive workup especially in young patients. Outcome and prognosis depend mainly on early diagnosis and treatment. Here we discuss the clinical presentation, diagnosis and the treatment of a young woman diagnosed with ICVT with acute ischaemic venous stroke, in the setting of eclampsia and family history of coagulation disease.
Anesthetic Management of a Child with β-Thalassemia Major and Cortical Venous Thrombosis
