Postoperative tetraplegia due to conversion disorder upon emergence from general anesthesia

JA Clinical Reports

Sayaka Ohira¹  Asuka Ito¹  Tatsuo Nakamoto¹  Takahiko Kamibayashi¹ 

[1] Department of Anesthesiology, Kansai Medical University, 2-3-1, Shin-machi, Hirakata, 573-1191, Osaka, Japan;

关键词: Conversion disorder;    Tetraplegia;    General anesthesia;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s40981-020-00394-9

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundAcute neurological deficit upon emergence from general anesthesia is a serious emergency. Conversion disorder, previously known as hysteria, is a somatoform disorder that causes neurological deficits without anatomical or physiological explanations. It is particularly rare after general anesthesia.Case presentationA 28-year-old healthy Japanese woman presented tetraplegia with normal sensory function upon waking from general anesthesia. She was evaluated for the causes of tetraplegia. There were no abnormal findings, and her symptoms were inconsistent with any anatomical or neurological pathology. Although she could not flex her knee actively, she could maintain the passive flexed position, suggesting that her paralysis was nonorganic. The most likely diagnosis was conversion disorder. After a 12-h observation, the patient fully recovered.ConclusionsIn patients with neurological deficits not correlating with neurological findings after general anesthesia, the presence of somatic disorders, such as conversion disorder, should be considered.

【 授权许可】

CC BY