Intrasacral Meningocele Complicating Caudal Analgesia in a 6-Year-Old Child After 3 Previous Uneventful Caudals: A Case Report

A 6-year-old male undergoing bilateral hydrocelectomy was to receive caudal analgesia after induction of general anesthesia. After insertion of the caudal needle, cerebrospinal fluid was unexpectedly aspirated and the caudal was abandoned. The surgeon performed bilateral ilioinguinal nerve blocks just before incision. Surgery was uneventful. The patient had difficulty ambulating postoperatively, and a detailed neurologic examination revealed quadriceps weakness. A lumbosacral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a sacral meningocele. By the next morning, quadriceps function had returned, and he was ambulating normally. The ilioinguinal block was most likely deep to the internal oblique muscle and produced femoral nerve dysfunction.

Cardiac arrest after induction of anesthesia in a 2-month-old infant with undiagnosed Williams syndrome

A 2-month-old male infant presented for elective repair of inguinal hernias. His preoperative medical history and physical examination were unremarkable. During induction of anesthesia, the infant sustained an adverse cardiac event. The event was characterized by tachycardia, hypotension, and massive ST-segment elevation. Despite vigorous resuscitation, spontaneous hemodynamic stability could not be achieved and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation was required. A transthoracic echocardiogram revealed severe hypoplasia of the ascending aorta. As effective cardiac function did not recover and there was evidence of diffuse ischemic brain injury, life support was withdrawn. Genetic testing performed postoperatively was definitive for Williams syndrome.