Anesthesia management in a patient with very long-chain acyl-Coenzyme A dehydrogenase deficiency

BACKGROUND: In a patient with very long-chain acyl-Coenzyme A dehydrogenase (VLCAD) deficiency, metabolism of fatty acids is impaired and a supply of alternative energy is limited when glucose level is insufficient on starvation. CASE PRESENTATION: A 37-year-old woman with VLCAD deficiency was diagnosed with an ovarian cyst and was scheduled for laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy. Glucose was administered intravenously with the start of fasting. Anesthesia was induced with remifentanil, midazolam, and thiamylal, maintained with desflurane and remifentanil. Body temperature was maintained at 36.2–36.7 °C. During anesthesia, hypoglycemia did not occur, creatine kinase levels were in the normal range, and myoglobinuria was not detected. No shivering was observed after extubation. CONCLUSIONS: Glucose was administered to avoid perioperative hypoglycemia. Body temperature was controlled to avoid shivering, which would otherwise increase skeletal muscle energy needs. Blood creatine kinase did not increase, and myoglobinuria was not detected; thus, rhabdomyolysis was unlikely to develop.