Anesthetic management of pregnant women with skeletal dysplasia and short stature: a case report.

Skeletal dysplasias and short stature are a heterogeneous group of pathologies in which achondroplasia is the most common presentation. The presence of bone deformities leads to thoracic and airway changes that can complicate ventilation and airway management. Most individuals with skeletal dysplasia present spinal abnormalities that increase the difficulty of administering neuraxial anaesthesia. In pregnant patients, physiological and anatomical changes further complicate obstetric and anaesthesia management. We report the case of a patient with skeletal dysplasia and short stature who was admitted to our hospital in week 34.3 of her pregnancy due to labour and respiratory difficulties. It was decided to perform an emergency caesarean section due to the disproportionate size of the foetal head with respect to the pelvis. We also review the different anaesthesia techniques described in the literature, and discuss their potential advantages and difficulties.