Anesthetic Management of a Patient With Prinzmetal Angina.

Prinzmetal angina (PA) is characterized by the development of reversible vasoconstriction of the coronary arteries, transient ischemic electrocardiographic changes in the ST segment, chest pain at rest, and prompt response to nitrates. Spasms of the coronary arteries can be precipitated during the perioperative period by an imbalance of vasodilator and vasoconstrictor factors of smooth muscle cells, which can lead to myocardial ischemia, cardiac arrhythmias, and death. Nevertheless, this is a relatively unrecognized topic, and literature is scarce about it. We present a case report detailing the successful anesthetic management of a patient diagnosed with PA and a documented nitrate allergy, who underwent bilateral ureterorenoscopy.

Perioperative Management of Lewis-Sumner Syndrome.

Lewis-Sumner syndrome (LSS) is a rare immune-mediated neuromuscular disorder. It shares some clinical and pathological features with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP). We report on the anaesthetic management of a patient with LSS. There are several concerns when anaesthetizing patients with demyelinating neuropathies, the main ones being the post-operative worsening of symptoms and respiratory depression related to muscle relaxants. In our experience, the rocuronium effect was prolonged and an even lower dosage (0.4 mg/kg) was sufficient for intubation and maintenance. Sugammadex allowed total reversion of neuromuscular block and no respiratory complications occurred. In conclusion, the combination of lower dose rocuronium and sugammadex was safely used in a patient with LSS.

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome: Is There a Role for Capsaicin?

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a challenging disorder occurring in patients most often after trauma or surgery. Its treatment is very complex, and even then, no treatment is fully effective. Capsaicin is a well-accepted treatment for neuropathic pain. However, its use in CRPS is controversial, with few studies having been published on it. In this case report, we describe the case of a female patient with CPRS type II, whose treatment with topical capsaicin resulted in great functional improvement. The patient was referred to the Pain Medicine Unit due to a CRPS type II due to trauma in her right wrist. She complained of severe pain in the median nerve territory of her dominant hand, associated with hyperalgesia, allodynia, burning, and electric shock sensation, resulting in functional disability. Electromyography was compatible with severe axonal injury of the right median nerve of the wrist. After conventional therapies were tried with no improvement, treatment with a capsaicin 8% patch was proposed. A functional improvement was observed after two applications of the capsaicin treatment, allowing the patient to regain activity in her hand. This shows that although evidence for capsaicin use in CRPS treatment is scarce, it can be a viable alternative for some patients.