Prolonged myoclonic contractions after enflurane anaesthesia - A case report

Abstract

A healthy young woman underwent arthroscopy of the right knee, for which she was given an enflurane anaesthetic. The anaesthetic was uneventful, but she started to show myoclonic jerky movements involving multiple muscle groups, except those innervated by the cranial nerves, while recovering from the anaesthetic. These jerky movements settled to the left side of her body. It was also associated with significant right frontal and retro-orbital headache. Serial neurological assessments were entirely negative. These symptoms took more than 48 hours to disappear. She recovered from this anaesthetic complication completely. An anaesthetic complication of this nature and duration has not been reported before in association with enflurane. © 1980 Canadian Anesthesiologists.