Prolonged succinyleholine-induced apnoea associated with cholinesterase silent plasma variant

Mivacurium and succinylcholine are short-acting neuromuscular blocking drugs. The duration of their action depends on their rapid hydrolysis by plasma cholinesterase or butyrylcholinesterase. More than thirty genetic variants of this enzyme have been described but the atypical variant is the most frequently involved in prolonged apnoea following the administration of these two myorelaxants. We present one case of patient who presented a five hours long apnoea associated with null cholinesterase activity and detection of a butyrylcholinesterase silent variant (Sil-1, 1 for 100 000 persons in population) after sequencing. (c) 2005 Elsevier SAS. Tous droits reserves.