[Anesthetic management of spinal progressive muscle atrophy (SPMA)].

The patient with spinal progressive muscle atrophy (SPMA) has many anesthetic problems; muscle atrophy, respiratory complications, hypersensitivity to non-depolarizing muscle relaxants and succinylcholine-induced hyperkalemia. Although neurological complications following spinal and epidural anesthesia have been reported in various neurologic diseases, we chose epidural anesthesia for the patient with SPMA and experienced no problems during and after the operation. We conclude that epidural anesthesia is a useful technique for the patient with SPMA.