"You Sleep, You Die": A Rare Clinical Case of Ondine's Curse after Posterior Fossa Surgery.

Journal: Case Reports In Surgery
Published:
Abstract

Ondine's curse is a rare condition in which breathing is preserved while awake, but there is absence of autonomic control of ventilation. It is a potentially fatal complication that may result rarely from surgery in posterior fossa in area close to respiratory centers. We describe a patient with posterior fossa hemangioblastoma who underwent subtotal resection via telovelar approach and developed acquired Ondine's curse postoperatively. The patient's presentation and management are described. Besides that, Ondine's is a great example of how modern medicine is linked to ancient literature, and thus, its anecdotal history is also described.

Authors
Mitesh Karn, Basant Mahato, Ranjan Sah, Dipendra Kandel, Shabal Sapkota
Relevant Conditions

Hemangioblastoma, Hemangioma