# Anesthetic management in a child with Meier-Gorlin syndrome: a case report

**Authors:** Christine Gaik, Kalvis Kreiss, Astrid Morin, Katharina Toussaint, Hinnerk Wulf, Nicolas Schmitt

PMC · DOI: 10.1186/s12871-025-03449-5 · 2025-10-27

## TL;DR

This paper describes the anesthetic management of a child with Meier-Gorlin syndrome during ear surgery, highlighting challenges and successful strategies.

## Contribution

The paper presents the first published case of anesthetic management in a patient with Meier-Gorlin syndrome.

## Key findings

- Anesthetic management in a child with MGS required careful planning due to airway challenges.
- Successful intubation was achieved using a stiffer stylet after an initial attempt failed.
- The perioperative course was uneventful with proper multidisciplinary planning.

## Abstract

Meier-Gorlin syndrome (MGS) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by the clinical triad of microtia, patellar hypo- or aplasia, and proportionate short stature. Due to its phenotypic variability and frequent craniofacial anomalies, anesthetic management may be challenging. We report the perioperative management of a 5-year-old boy with genetically confirmed MGS undergoing adenoidectomy, otomicroscopy, and bilateral tympanostomy tube insertion. Preoperative airway evaluation was unremarkable, with no classical predictors of a difficult airway. However, videolaryngoscopy during induction revealed an anterior and deeply positioned glottis with soft, collapsible surrounding structures. Initial intubation with a flexible stylet was unsuccessful; a second attempt using a stiffer stylet was successful under direct visualization. The remaining perioperative course, including extubation and postoperative monitoring, was uneventful. A multidisciplinary planning and individualized anesthetic management enabled safe ambulatory care. To our knowledge, this is the first published case describing anesthetic management in a patient with MGS.

## Linked entities

- **Diseases:** Meier-Gorlin syndrome (MONDO:0016817)

## Full-text entities

- **Diseases:** autosomal recessive disorder (MESH:D030342), microtia (MESH:D065817), craniofacial anomalies (MESH:D019465), MGS (MESH:C538012), patellar hypo- or aplasia (MESH:C535288), short stature (MESH:D006130)
- **Species:** Homo sapiens (human, species) [taxon 9606]

## Figures

1 figure with captions in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12557988/full.md

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12557988