Anesthetic management of a rare case of craniosynostosis

Abstract

Craniosynostosis is a condition of premature intrauterine fusion of sutures causing abnormal skull shape, neurological abnormalities and increased intracranial pressure. It can occur as an isolated condition or may be part of a syndrome. The key to treating an infant with craniosynostosis is early diagnosis and accurate treatment as untreated craniosynostosis can affect mental development and visual abnormalities which are linked to raised intracranial pressure. In this case, we describe the anesthetic management of a 13-month-old baby, a case of nonsyndromic craniosynostosis involving sagittal, metopic and coronal sutures posted for strip craniectomies.

Keywords

• Craniosynostosis
• hydrocephalus
• massive blood loss
• scaphocephaly
• strip craniectomy
• venous air embolism