Catamenial epilepsy: A missed cause of refractory seizure in young women

Catamenial epilepsy refers to changes in the frequency of seizures over the course of the menstrual cycle. A thorough history and detailed review of the patient's seizure diary are imperative to classify the seizures accurately and select the most appropriate antiepileptic treatment. As catamenial epilepsy rarely responds to antiepileptic medications, the physician should regularly revise the treatment plan of the women with epilepsy that is refractory to the current treatment. We describe the case of a 34-year-old single woman who presented with refractory seizures.

Obstruction of a non-resterilized reinforced endotracheal tube during craniotomy under general anesthesia

Many cases of reinforced endotracheal tube (ETT) obstruction were reported in the literature. In most of these cases, the obstruction was related to the use of a resterilized tube with or without the use of nitrous oxide (N₂O). Resterilization and autoclaving of the tube may result in dissection or formation of a bleb between the two layers of the tube that may expand after the use of N₂O. We describe a case of acute non-resterilized reinforced ETT obstruction, by bleb formation, during occipital craniotomy under general anesthesia.