[Combined lumbar plexus-sciatic nerve block in the emergency surgery for pertrochanteric fracture: an alternative technique in patients at high risk of anaesthetic complications].

Introduction: emergency surgery for pertrochanteric femoral fractures (PFF) in patients at high risk of anaesthetic complications is a real challenge for surgeons due to the increased intraoperative risk. We report our experience with combined lumbar plexus-sciatic nerve block as an alternative anesthetic technique for these fractures.

Methods: we conducted a three-year descriptive, single-center, cross-sectional study including patients with a history of recent pertrochanteric femoral fractures (PFF) at high risk anaesthetic complications.

Unusual localization of bleeding under acenocoumarol: Spinal subdural hematoma.

Background: The spinal subdural hematoma (SSH) is an extremely rare entity which represents only 4.1% of all spinal hematomas. It needs accurate diagnosis and rapid intervention because of the major neurological risk induced by spinal compression.

[Asystole during surgery to manage small intestine cancer: are we dealing with anaphylaxis or carcinoid crisis].

Cardiac arrest in the operating room is a life-threatening event with multiple causes. We report the case of a 53-year old female patient with no particular past medical history scheduled for surgery to manage small intestine cancer. Twenty minutes after anesthetic induction the patient had asystole rapidly reversible after resuscitation measures.

[Pancreatic encephalopathy: about 2 cases and review of the literature].

Pancreatic encephalopathy (PE) is a rare complication of acute pancreatitis. Our study reports 2 cases of patients with pancreatic encephalopathy, hospitalized and treated in the Intensive Care Unit of the Military Hospital of Instruction Mohammed V, Rabat. Patient age ranged between 43 and 54 years, our 2 cases involved a woman and a man.

[Epilepsy revealing chorea-acanthocytosis: about a case].

Chorea-acanthocytosis (ChAc) is an extremely rare autosomal recessive disorder caused by mutations in the VSP13A gene on chromosome 9q21. It is characterized by neurological symptoms, psychiatric manifestations and multisystem involvement resulting in myopathy, axonal neuropathy and presence of spiculated red blood cells or acanthocytes. Rarely, epilepsy may be the early symptom in these patients.