Serum creatine kinase levels after succinylcholine in children with "muscle, eye and brain disease".

Four boys belonging to a group of children affected by a rare form of muscular dystrophy with eye and brain involvement, termed the "muscle, eye and brain disease" (MEB), were anaesthetized for various eye examinations and surgery. On some occasions succinylcholine was used during anaesthesia and the initially elevated serum creatine kinase (CK) values increased from a range of 122 to 1200 units.L-1 to a range of 4350 to 9690 units.L-1 22 hours after anaesthesia. CK values after anaesthesia without succinylcholine remained at the initially elevated levels. Rectal temperatures of the children were normal. These findings suggest that succinylcholine should be avoided in patients with MEB disease.