Laparoscopic cholecystectomy in a patient with Steinert myotonic dystrophy. Case report.

Myotonic dystrophy (MD) is a serious multi-systemic autosomal dominant disease. The estimated incidence is 1 in every 8000 births, with an estimated prevalence of between 2.1 and 14.3 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. Signs and symptoms vary from a severe form of congenital myopathy, present from birth and often fatal, to a classic form and a delayed form, which generally presents after the age of 50 and in which the only sign is a cataract and life expectancy is completely normal. We describe the clinical case of a 40-year-old woman with Steinert myotonic dystrophy who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy (under general anesthesia) for symptomatic gallbladder stones. The conduct of anesthesia in such patients must be carefully considered, as hypothermia, shivering, electrical and mechanical stimulation, and the drugs used can all trigger myotonia.

[The role of the anesthesiologist in secondary hyperparathyroidism]. / Il ruolo dell'anestesista nell'iperparatiroidismo secondario.

In the last years the increasing of diabetes and hypertension has produced a considerable increase of patients with chronic renal failure; secondary hyperparathyroidism is one of the major complications. The resection of hyperfunctioning parathyroid tissue is the ultimate goal of the treatment. The preoperative examination by the anesthetist is the starting-point of the treatment. The anesthetist programs hemodialysis, the correction of fluid and electrolyte abnormalities and of the anaemia. In the operating room the anesthetist is involved in the careful monitoring of liquid infusion and anesthesiological procedure. The intraoperative parathyroid hormone (PTH) assay is an essential tool because the stress of orotracheal intubation elicits the raising of the catecholamine levels, and the catecholamines stimulates PTH secretion. Propofol can interfere with the intraoperative PTH assay causing an artificial reduction of PTH levels. This study highlights the difficulty in the application of anesthesiological protocol in the uremic patient.

Terminal ligature of inferior thyroid artery branches during total thyroidectomy for multinodular goiter is associated with higher postoperative calcium and PTH levels.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the impact of truncal versus terminal branch ligature of the inferior thyroid artery (ITA) on postoperative calcium and PTH plasma levels in patients undergoing total thyroidectomy for multinodular goiter. METHODS: A prospective randomized study was performed comparing a group of patients that underwent either truncal ligature of the ITA (group 1) or terminal ligature of ITA branches (group 2). RESULTS: A series of 126 consecutive patients with non-toxic euthyroid multinodular goiter underwent total thyroidectomy. Truncal ligature of the ITA was performed in 63 patients (group 1) and terminal branch ITA ligature in 63 patients (group 2). Postoperative ionized serum calcium (mmol/L) at 24 hours was significantly lower in group 1 than in group 2 patients (1.22 ± 0.06 vs. 1.25 ± 0.05, P<0.05) and at 48 hours (1.20 ± 0.05 vs. 1.23 ± 0.05, P<0.05). Mean postoperative PTH levels (pg/mL) at 4 hours after thyroidectomy were significantly lower in group 1 than in group 2 patients (22.32 ± 11.64 vs. 25.82 ± 12.87, P=0.044). Mean hospital stay (hours) was higher in group 1 than in group 2 patients (87.47 ± 41.04 vs. 70.34 ± 24.82, P<0.05). CONCLUSION: This study shows that terminal ligature of ITA branches during total thyroidectomy for multinodular goiter is associated with higher mean postoperative calcium and PTH levels, and shorter hospital stay. However, no significant difference in terms of permanent hypoparathyroidism was observed between the two groups.