We report two cases of Caesarean section in patients with Marfan's syndrome where continuous subarachnoid anaesthesia failed to provide an adequate surgical block. This was possibly because of dural ectasia, which was confirmed by a computed tomography scan in both cases.

Rare in the general public, dural ectasia is a common finding in patients with Marfan syndrome. Complications are not frequent but include constipation, urinary retention, and meningitis. Presented here is a case of bacterial meningitis secondary to fistulous communication between a sacral meningocele and sigmoid colon in the setting of diverticulitis.

BACKGROUND Dural sinus malformation (DSM) is a term used to describe congenital vascular malformations characterized by massive dilation of one or more dural sinuses: these dilatations are typically associated with arteriovenous shunts. Such malformations can present antenatally but their early natural history and anatomy is poorly defined. METHODS We reviewed five years of autopsy experience...

Dural arteriovenous fistula (DAVF) is classically defined as abnormal arteriovenous connections located within the dural leaflets. Though the exact etiology is still not clear, they are generally accepted as acquired lesions. However, some DAVFs formed as the congenital disorders are called dural arteriovenous malformations and these lesions with a marked cortical venous reflux are considered t...

A 39-year-old man with no known cardiovascular risk factors was hospitalized for chest pain radiating to the side. Type A aortic dissection was diagnosed by transthoracic echocardiography and computed tomography (CT). which the ascending aorta was replaced with a valved tube graft (Bentall-Bono procedure). The patient had a phenotype typical of Marfan disease: height of 190 cm, long limbs, scol...