Klippel-Fiel syndrome and anesthetic challenges – A case report and review of literature

Abstract

Klippel-Fiel syndrome is one of the common congenital causes of difficult airway which is characterized by failure of normal segmentation of cervical vertebra resulting in short neck with restricted movement and cervical instability. This anomaly increases the risk of neurological damage during airway instrumentation like laryngoscopy and positioning for surgery. We report a case of 60 year old female patient with Klippel-Fiel syndrome posted for ear surgery under general anesthesia. She was successfully managed by using awake fibreoptic technique for endotracheal intubation.