scholarly journals Acute neurological deficit caused by thoracic pseudomeningocele after spinal surgery

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (7) ◽  
pp. e243788
Author(s):  
Choong Hoon Foo ◽  
Beatrix Yung Siang Hii ◽  
Chung Chek Wong ◽  
Khin Maung Ohn

Postoperative pseudomeningocele usually has a benign course. We report a rare presentation of postoperative acute neurological deficit caused by compressive thoracic pseudomeningocele. This patient had posterior spinal fusion and decompression surgery for thoracic ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament and ligamentum flavum. Intraoperative incidental durotomy was covered with hydrogel dural sealant. She developed acute neurological deterioration 1 week after index surgery. Emergency decompression surgery was performed. One year after the surgery, she showed good neurological recovery.

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 661-669 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shiro Imagama ◽  
Kei Ando ◽  
Kazuyoshi Kobayashi ◽  
Tetsuro Hida ◽  
Kenyu Ito ◽  
...  

Abstract BACKGROUND Surgery for thoracic ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (T-OPLL) is still challenging, and factors for good surgical outcomes are unknown. OBJECTIVE To identify factors for good surgical outcomes with prospective and comparative study. METHODS Seventy-one consecutive patients who underwent posterior decompression and instrumented fusion were divided into good or poor outcome groups based on ≥50% and <50% recovery rates for the Japanese Orthopaedic Association score. Preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative findings were compared in the 2 groups, and significant factors for a good outcome were analyzed. RESULTS Patients with a good outcome (76%) had significantly lower nonambulatory rate and positive prone and supine position tests preoperatively; lower rates of T-OPLL, ossification of the ligamentum flavum, high-intensity area at the same level, thoracic spinal cord alignment difference, and spinal canal stenosis on preoperative magnetic resonance imaging; lower estimated blood loss; higher rates of intraoperative spinal cord floating and absence of deterioration of intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring; and lower rates of postoperative complications (P < .0005). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, negative prone and supine position test (odds ratio [OR]: 17.00), preoperative ambulatory status (OR: 6.05), absence of T-OPLL, ossification of the ligamentum flavum, high-intensity area at the same level (OR: 5.84), intraoperative spinal cord floating (OR: 4.98), and lower estimated blood loss (OR: 1.01) were significant factors for a good surgical outcome. CONCLUSION This study demonstrated that early surgery is recommended during these positive factors. Appropriate surgical planning based on preoperative thoracic spinal cord alignment difference, as well as sufficient spinal cord decompression and reduction of complications using intraoperative ultrasonography and intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring, may improve surgical outcomes.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-3
Author(s):  
Salem Agabawi

Drug-induced aseptic meningitis is a rare medical condition with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole being one of the most common antimicrobial agents associated with it. Here, I report a case of a 56-year-old male who presented to a health care facility with shock and meningitis-like syndrome in two occasions, one year apart following an exposure to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole for treatment of skin/soft tissue infection. Investigations did not reveal an infectious etiology in the two presentations. The patient improved with supportive care and withdrawal of the offending agent. In the two admissions, the patient improved following stopping the offending drug in addition to supportive care. The diagnosis of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole-induced aseptic meningitis was the most likely explanation for this case. Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole-induced aseptic meningitis is rare although it is a life-threatening side effect of TMP/SMX; therefore, the clinicians should keep the diagnosis of drug-induced aseptic meningitis in the differential diagnosis of aseptic meningitis in the appropriate clinical setting as early withdrawal of the culprit drug and supportive measurements will lead to early recovery.


2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 131
Author(s):  
Karthikeyan Srinivasan ◽  
Hong Kuan Kok ◽  
Mona Mubarak ◽  
William Torregianni ◽  
Robert Whitty

Aim: Ultrasound of neuraxis can be used to identify the best possible inter-spinous space to perform neuraxial block. The aim of this study was to assess the anatomical correlation between neuraxial ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).Material and method: Twenty-one patients who underwent MRI of the lumbar spine had ultrasound of lumbar neuraxis performed by an experienced operator. Each lumbar interspinous space was graded on ultrasound as good [posteriorcomplex (ligamentum flavum and duramater) and anterior complex (posterior longitudinal ligament) visible], intermediate (either anterior complex or posterior complex visible) or poor (both anterior complex and posterior complex not visible) in both the transverse median (TM) and paramedian sagittal oblique (PSO) plane. Pre-determined MRI parameters were measured by a radiologist blinded to sonographic findings at each inter-spinal level.Results: Seventy-eight lumbar interspinous spaces were evaluated. There was a significant association (p<0.004) between the facet joint degeneration on MRI and the poor ultrasound view in the transverse median (TM) group. The odds of obtaining a poor view in TM plane was 7 times higher (95% CI 1.7-28.9, p=0.007) in the presence of facet joint degeneration. None of the other variables had a significant association with a poor neuraxial view in the TM plane. Poor views in the parasagittal oblique (PSO) plane did not correlate with any of the variables measured on MRI.Conclusion: Facet joint degeneration is a major contributing factor to poor neuraxial ultrasound views in the TM plane. 


2020 ◽  
pp. 77-77
Author(s):  
Vuk Aleksic ◽  
Rosanda Ilic ◽  
Mihailo Milicevic ◽  
Filip Milisavljevic ◽  
Milos Jokovic

Introduction. The spine is involved in less than 1% of all tuberculosis (TB) cases, and it is a very dangerous type of skeletal TB as it can be associated with neurologic deficit and even paraplegia due to compression of adjacent neural structures and significant spinal deformity. The spine TB is one of the most common causes for an angular kyphotic deformity of spine. Patients with 60 or more degree kyphosis at dorsolumbar spine are at great risk to develop late onset neurological deficit and paraplegia due to chronic compression and stretching of the spinal cord over bonny ridges. In small portion of cases other conditions may lead to neurological deficit in patients with long standing angular kyphosis which also alters the treatment strategy that otherwise involves prolonged and mutilant surgery. Case outline. We present a case of a 61-year-old male patient with concomitant 90-degree dorsolumbar spine kyphosis due to spinal TB and ligamentum flavum hypertrophy, which led to spinal canal stenosis with myelopathy and consequent paraplegia. The patient undergoes dorsal decompression with removal of the hypertrophic yellow ligament after which he recovered to the level of walking. Conclusion. Many authors propose guidelines for treatment of spinal TB taking into account the stage of the disease, the age of the patient, the angle of kyphosis, and other factors. We find that the best approach for each patient is personalized medical approach.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11

OBJECTIVE The authors sought to investigate clinical and radiological outcomes after thoracic posterior fusion surgery during a minimum of 10 years of follow-up, including postoperative progression of ossification, in patients with thoracic ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (T-OPLL). METHODS The study participants were 34 consecutive patients (15 men, 19 women) with an average age at surgery of 53.6 years (range 36–80 years) who underwent posterior decompression and fusion surgery with instrumentation at the authors’ hospital. The minimum follow-up period was 10 years. Estimated blood loss, operative time, pre- and postoperative Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scores, and JOA score recovery rates were investigated. Dekyphotic changes were evaluated on plain radiographs of thoracic kyphotic angles and fusion levels pre- and postoperatively and 10 years after surgery. The distal junctional angle (DJA) was measured preoperatively and at 10 years after surgery to evaluate distal junctional kyphosis (DJK). Ossification progression at distal intervertebrae was investigated on CT. RESULTS The Cobb angles at T1–12 were 46.8°, 38.7°, and 42.6°, and those at the fusion level were 39.6°, 31.1°, and 34.1° pre- and postoperatively and at 10 years after surgery, respectively. The changes in the kyphotic angles from pre- to postoperatively and to 10 years after surgery were 8.0° and 7.2° at T1–12 and 8.4° and 7.9° at the fusion level, respectively. The DJA changed from 4.5° postoperatively to 10.9° at 10 years after surgery. There were 11 patients (32.3%) with DJK during follow-up, including 4 (11.8%) with vertebral compression fractures at lower instrumented vertebrae or adjacent vertebrae. Progression of ossification of the ligamentum flavum (OLF) on the caudal side occurred in 8 cases (23.6%), but none had ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) progression. Cases with OLF progression had a significantly lower rate of DJK (0% vs 38.5%, p < 0.01), a lower DJA (3.4° vs 13.2°, p < 0.01), and a smaller change in DJA at 10 years after surgery (0.8° vs 8.1°, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS Posterior decompression and fusion surgery with instrumentation for T-OPLL was found to be a relatively safe and stable surgical procedure based on the long-term outcomes. Progression of OLF on the caudal side occurred in 23.6% of cases, but cases with OLF progression did not have DJK. Progression of DJK shifts the load in the spinal canal forward and the load on the ligamentum flavum is decreased. This may explain the lack of ossification in cases with DJK.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
Karo Servatyari ◽  
Hero Yazdanpanah ◽  
Chamara Dalugama

Background. Kikuchi–Fujimoto disease (KFD) is a rare, benign, and self-limiting disease that is commonly associated with cervical lymphadenopathy and fever. The disease has a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations, and definitive diagnosis is based on the histological appearance in the excision biopsy of the lymph nodes. Recurrence of KFD is reported rarely. Case Presentation. A 56-year-old Iranian woman with a background history of thrombocytopenia presented with fever, malaise, loss of appetite, and weight loss with cervical lymphadenopathy. The excision biopsy of the cervical lymph nodes confirmed the diagnosis of KFD, and she made a full recovery with improvement of symptoms, regression of cervical lymph nodes, and normalization inflammatory markers. One year after remission, she presented with similar clinico-biochemical profile, and repeat biopsy confirmed KFD. Conclusion. Although the rate of recurrence of the disease is very low, the treating physician should consider the possibility and confirm it histologically.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jay Lodhia ◽  
Ayesiga Herman ◽  
Rune Philemon ◽  
Adnan Sadiq ◽  
Deborah Mchaile ◽  
...  

Introduction. Hydatidosis is a parasitic manifestation caused by Echinococcus granulosus. It is characterized by cystic lesions in the liver and lungs. Diagnosis is based on typical history and radiological measures. Case presentation. A four-year-old boy presented with a one-year history of dry cough and difficulty in breathing which was of gradual progression. Computed tomography of the chest revealed a large 11.7 cm×8.6 cm×11.0 cm cyst in the right hemithorax. The patient underwent thoracotomy and recovered well post procedure. Conclusion. This case report highlights that large hydatid cysts can be surgically removed with good outcome and the importance of realizing that the disease is a burden to the public health and is much neglected.


ISRN Anatomy ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-4 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. J. Connor ◽  
S. Nawaz ◽  
V. Prasad ◽  
S. Mahir ◽  
R. Rattan ◽  
...  

Purpose. Incidental durotomy is a relatively common complication for patients undergoing posterior spinal surgery. Delineating anatomical variants in the posterior lumbar spinal canal is crucial in reducing future rates of incidental durotomy. Materials and Methods. The ligamentous attachments between the dura mater and ligamentum flavum in the lumbar region of 17 soft-fixed cadavers were investigated. The lumbar vertebral columns were removed, and cross-sectional dissection was performed at levels L1-S1. Anterior retraction of the dorsal dura mater identified attachments between the dorsal surface of the dura mater and the ligamentum flavum. Histological staining of the ligamentous attachments was carried out with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and elastic van Gieson (EVG). Results. Posterior epidural ligaments were present in 9 (52.9%) cadavers. Nine (9) separate ligaments were identified in these cadavers, with 3 (33.3%) at L3/L4, 5 (55.5%) at L4/L5, and 1 (11.1%) at L5/S1. Histology confirmed the presence of poorly differentiated collagen-based connective tissue, distinct from the normal anatomy. Conclusions. This study confirms the presence of multiple dorsomedial posterior epidural ligaments at the main sites for posterior spinal surgery (L3-S1). An intraoperative awareness of the variability of such connections may be an important step in reducing static rates of incidental durotomy.


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