Induction of anaesthesia with ketamine during an acute crisis of hereditary coproporphyria

Anesthetic implication of tricuspid valve replacement in a patient with acute intermittent porphyria

Facing a patient with acute intermittent porphyria (AIP), there is narrow safety margin which circumscribe all the therapeutic actions including choice of drugs. This would become even more complicated when it comes to a stressful and drug-dependent process like a cardiopulmonary bypass. According to author's researches, no specific AIP case of tricuspid valve (TV) replacement is reported recently. Furthermore, fast-track anesthesia was safely used in this 37-year-old male known the case of AIP, who was a candidate for TV replacement and removing the port catheter. The patient was extubated subsequently, only 3 h after entering the Intensive Care Unit.

Recovery from a variegate porphyria by a liver transplantation

The porphyrias are a group of inherited or acquired enzymatic defects of heme biosynthesis. Each type of porphyria has a characteristic pattern of overproduction and accumulation of heme precursors based on the location of dysfunctional enzyme in the heme synthetic pathway. Variegate porphyria, one of the acute hepatic porphyrias, is characterized by a partial reduction in protoporphyrinogen oxidase, the seventh enzyme of the heme biosynthetic pathway. A case of liver transplantation is described with a recovery from a variegate porphyria. Acute porphyria is commonly worsened by a wide variety of medications. We describe a step-by-step perioperative management protocol.

Anesthetic considerations in porphyrias

Four hereditary types of porphyria are now classified as acute porphyrias. Enzymatic defects result in accumulation of porphyrin precursors (usually ALA and PGB). The quantity of these precursors may be normal or slightly increased in latent periods but increase to toxic levels during a porphyric crisis. Iatrogenic induction of ALA synthetase by administration of certain triggers (classically barbiturates) is only one of several factors which contribute to porphyric crisis. Signs and symptoms of acute porphyric attack consist primarily of neurologic dysfunction, which occurs secondary to neurotoxicity of ALA or diminished intraneuronal heme levels. Appropriate anesthetic management of porphyria requires knowledge of the type of porphyria (acute vs non-acute), assessment of latent versus active (crisis) phase, awareness of clinical features of porphyric attack, and knowledge of safe pharmacologic intervention.

Safety of general anaesthesia and surgery in acute hepatic porphyria

Patients with acute hepatic porphyria are denied essential operations because of concern that general anaesthesia and surgery will precipitate a life threatening porphyric crisis. This study assessed the safety of surgery under general anaesthesia in these patients. A combined prospective and retrospective case note study, with a biochemical study, was conducted in 25 patients with acute hepatic porphyria undergoing 38 surgical operations. Clinical outcome measures were survival and occurrence of porphyric crisis after surgery. The biochemical activity of porphyria was assessed by measurement of the perioperative 24 hour excretion of the haem precursors delta amino-laevulinic acid (ALA) and porphobilinogen (PBG). There were no deaths or crises after 29 operations in 19 patients who were known to have porphyria before their surgery, and therefore given only appropriate drugs. These operations include such major procedures as mitral valve replacement, hip replacement, coronary artery grafting, cholecystectomies, and renal transplantation. In eight of these patients the urinary excretion of ALA and PBG were studied, and showed no sustained postoperative increase. Nine operations were performed in eight patients before the diagnosis of porphyria was known and who thus received routine anaesthetic agents. Seven of these patients developed a postoperative porphyric crisis. Two of them died. It is concluded therefore that even the most major surgery can be undertaken safely in patients with porphyria. The risk is for undiagnosed cases.

[Anesthesia and hepatic porphyria]

Three of the acute hepatic porphyrias, acute intermittent porphyria, variegata porphyria and hereditary coproporphyria, are characterized by an idiosyncratic reaction to many common drugs; the resulting excessive excretion of porphyrin precursors is responsible for episodes of acute neurological dysfunction. This review aimed to focus the attention of the anaesthesiologist on the porphyrinogenic properties of all the drugs used in anaesthesia and intensive care. An outline of the chemistry of porphyrins and the enzymatic pathways were recalled, so as to place the acute porphyrias in their proper perspective. There follows a reminder of the clinical aspect of acute porphyric crises. The part played by drugs is then assessed from clinical and laboratory data concerning their porphyrinogenicity. Those drugs for which there is conflicting evidence regarding their safe use in porphyric patients are discussed: propofol, ketamine, benzodiazepines, etomidate, local anaesthetics. Recommendations supported by clinical and experimental data are given, especially the results obtained with the chick embryo liver model. Treatment of the acute crisis is provided, with particular emphasis on the use of haematin. The anaesthetic management of hepatic porphyric patients is described. Those drugs which are well-known porphyrinogenic compounds in the chick embryo liver must be excluded from use for anaesthesia in the porphyric patients, even if they have been observed to be innocuous in rare cases of asymptomatic patients. Finally, recommendations for anaesthesia in symptomatic cutanea porphyria are given.