Abstract

BARBOSA, Fabiano Timbó; CORREIA, Marta Cristiane Bezerra; CUNHA, Rafael Martins da  and  CAVALCANTI, Ismar Lima. Thoracic epidural anesthesia for mammaplasty in myasthenia gravis patient: case report. Rev. Bras. Anestesiol. [online]. 2005, vol.55, n.3, pp. 354-360. ISSN 0034-7094.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0034-70942005000300013.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Myasthenia gravis is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by skeletal muscles weakness promoted by decreased acetylcholine receptors in the neuromuscular junction. This report aimed at describing a case of myasthenia gravis patient submitted to thoracic epidural anesthesia for cosmetic mammaplasty. CASE REPORT: Female patient, 51 years old, with myasthenia gravis and submitted to thoracic epidural anesthesia with bupivacaine and fentanyl. There was no respiratory depression. Patient was discharged 36 hours later. CONCLUSIONS: Our case suggests epidural anesthesia as a single technique for myasthenia gravis patients, without mandatory tracheal intubation.

Keywords : ANESTHETIC TECHNIQUES, Regional [epidural]; DISEASES [myasthenia gravis].