Spinal anesthesia for a patient with type I sialidosis undergoing abdominal surgery.

Type I and II sialidosis are autosomal recessively inherited glycoprotein storage disorders. Until now, there has been no published reports of patients with these conditions requiring anesthesia. We present the case of a 31-year-old male afflicted with type I sialidosis who underwent a surgical jejunostomy. Regional (spinal) anesthesia was carried out uneventfully. We discuss the anesthetic challenges posed by patients with type I and II sialidosis. Airway assessment and management is particularly crucial.