Emergency Surgery in a Child with Cretinism with Anticipated Difficult Airway Under Low-Dose Subarachnoid Block

A child with cretinism poses multiple anaesthetic challenges due to the associated mental and physical disability, deranged metabolic and physiologic functions, difficult airway and propensity to perioperative cardiorespiratory complications. Spinal anaesthesia in children is associated with remarkable cardiorespiratory stability and provides complete surgical anaesthesia. Here, we report a case that describes the first successful anaesthetic management of a child who was an unevaluated case of cretinism under subarachnoid block.