title: Airway management for occipital encephalocele in neonatal patients: A review of 17 cases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Encephalocele, midline defect of cranial bone fusion, occurs most frequently in the occipital region. Airway management in pediatric patients with craniofacial disorders poses many challenges to the anesthesiologist. The purpose of this study is to describe the airway problems encountered for such cases, and describe how these problems were managed.
  
  
  METHODS
  We reviewed the charts of occipital encephalocele newborn that were treated by surgical correction in Harran University Hospital during 2006-2008. The collected data were categorized into preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of the patients was 5.17 days. Of these 17 patients, eight patients (47.1%) had hydrocephaly, one patient (5.8%) with Dandy Walker syndrome. Micrognathia, macroglossia, restriction in neck movements were recorded as the reasons in six cases each. No major anesthetic complication was found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We reported perioperative management in 17 occipital encephalocele infant. Comprehensive care during peroperative period is essential for successful outcome.
authors: Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Dicle University, Diyarbakir, Turkey.
authors: Zeynep Baysel
authors: ZB
authors: Yιldιrιm
authors: Emel
authors: E
authors: Avci
authors: Fuat
authors: F
authors: Torun
authors: Mustafa
authors: M
authors: Cengiz
authors: Ali
authors: A
authors: Cigdem
authors: Hamza
authors: H
authors: Karabağ
authors: Haktan
authors: H
authors: Karaman