Mask anesthesia for cerebral angiography in childhood moyamoya disease

: Cerebral angiography is performed for diagnosis and management of moyamoya disease and in childhood moyamoya disease is usually carried out under general anesthesia after tracheal intubation. Mechanical irritation to trachea resulting in pain,cough,and increase in secretion after termination of the general anesthesia sometimes occurs and it sometimes causes hyperventilation resulting in hypocapnea. Continuous hypocapnea sometimes causes appearance of ischemic attacks in moyamoya disease. In the present study, we examine cerebral angiography conducted under general anesthesia using face mask ventilation in fourteen children with moyamoya disease. Sevoflurane was used as inhalation anesthetics. Face mask anesthesia was sixteen times in total in the 14 patients. Cerebral angiography terminated uneventfully in these patients except one patient who showed bronchospasm after induction of anesthesia and required tracheal intubation. However, the patient showed uneventful course after termination of the angiography. Tracheal irritation did not appear and all the patients were asleep just after termination of face mask anesthesia except for the patient who required tracheal intubation. In the latter case, the patient frequently coughed out phlegm after general anesthesia with tracheal intubation. In conclusion, general anesthesia with face mask ventilation was thought to be one of the suitable anesthetic methods introduced for cerebral angiography in childhood moyamoya disease.