ABSTRACT
Airway management in a patient with Forestier's disease can be challenging clinically because this disease may cause not only dysphagia but also airway obstruction due to the compression of the pharynx and esophagus caused by the ossification of anterior longitudinal ligament. We report our anesthetic management in a patient with Forestier's disease. Meanwhile, we studied the causes of difficult airway and the most suitable airway device for a patient with this disease from a standpoint of anatomy of upper airway. Our study indicated the possibility that the most suitable airway device differed depending on the actual location of the ossification of anterior longitudinal ligament in the cervical spine and that more prudent airway management would be required if its lesion location extended to upper cervical spine.
Subject(s)
Airway Management/methods , Hyperostosis, Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal/complications , Aged , Humans , MaleABSTRACT
The case of a 68-year-old woman with purpura nephritis associated with nephrotic syndrome is herein described. The patient's clinical course and the findings of a renal biopsy study revealed purpura nephritis. Following treatment with corticosteroids and intravenous cyclophosphamide accompanied by an angiotensin II type I receptor-blocker, an anti-platelet drug and an hydroxymethylglutaryl (HMG)-CoA, the proteinuria mildly decreased. Additional rituximab therapy led to a complete remission. This report describes our successful experience using rituximab to treat refractory nephrotic syndrome of purpura nephritis. Further studies are required to confirm the efficacy of rituximab as an alternative therapy for nephrotic syndrome.
