MON-303 Giant Growth Hormone Secreting Pituitary Adenomas: A Single Institution Case Series

Abstract The prevalence of growth hormone (GH)-secreting pituitary adenoma is around 11-13% of all pituitary adenomas. Giant GH-secreting pituitary adenomas (≥ 4 cm) are rare tumors, and its prevalence of among acromegalic patients is <5%. This is a retrospective cohort study including patients with giant GH-secreting pituitary adenomas. The study population consisted of 10 patients (5 M/5 F). The mean age at diagnosis was 33.0±12.9 yrs (11-55 yrs). The mean delay between first symptom onset and diagnosis was 2.9 years. The most frequent symptoms were acral enlargement and facial changes (80%), followed by headache (70%) and visual deterioration (50%). One patient had epilepsy. Amenorrhea was presented in three females but obvious galactorrhea in two. The mean adenoma diameter was 42.6±4.7 mm (40-51 mm) at diagnosis. The vast majority of adenomas presented suprasellar extension (100%) or cavernous sinus invasion (80%). Cystic adenomas accounted for 50%. At presentation, mean GH and IGF-1 levels were 40.0±21.4 ng/mL (14.8-51.0) and 2.62±1.09 x ULN (1.08-3.96), respectively. Six patients presented with PRL cosecretion. At diagnosis maximal tumor diameter was not correlated with GH or IGF-1 levels. All patients underwent pituitary surgery as first-line treatment. Three cases were treated with an endoscopic approach and four cases with a microscopic approach. Transcranial approach was also employed in three cases. Postoperative mean GH and IGF-1 levels were 14.9±16.1 ng/mL (0.6-51.0) and 2.25.±0.82 x ULN (1.48-3.74), respectively. After first surgery, only one patient had more than 50% reduction in IGF-1 levels. Five patients (50%) underwent repeat surgery on two to three procedures because remission was not achieved. Postoperative somatostatin receptor ligands (SRLs) were used by all patients. Six patients were treated with dopamine agonist in combination with SRL. Six patients (60%) received postoperative radiotherapy. The mean follow-up period was 12.6±5.3 yrs (4-21 yrs). The mean GH and IGF-1 levels were 1.47±1.54 ng/mL (0.08-5.25) and 0.73±0.44 x ULN (0.08-1.56), respectively at the last visit. Residual adenoma was present at the last MRI in eight patients (mean diameter 9.0±3.6 mm). Panhypopituitarism rose from 10% at baseline to 30% at the last visit. During follow-up, one patient diagnosed breast cancer, while another diagnosed thyroid papillary cancer. Giant GH-secreting pituitary adenomas can have a clinically aggressive behavior with mass effect. Moreover, treatment in patients with giant GH-secreting pituitary adenoma is complex and multimodal therapy is necessary.

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SURG-08. SURGICAL OUTCOMES OF PITUITARY ADENOMAS TREATED WITH TRANSSPHENOIDAL SURGERY: A SINGLE INSTITUTION’S EXPERIENCE

Neuro-Oncology ◽

10.1093/neuonc/noz175.1009 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 21 (Supplement_6) ◽

pp. vi241-vi241

Author(s):

Young Beom Seo ◽

Oh-Lyong Kim

Keyword(s):

Growth Hormone ◽

Pituitary Adenoma ◽

Surgical Outcomes ◽

Pituitary Adenomas ◽

Transsphenoidal Surgery ◽

Cerebrospinal Fluid Leakage ◽

Time Interval ◽

Tumor Type ◽

Visual Disturbances

Abstract We retrospectively analyzed surgical outcomes of transsphenoidal surgery for pituitary adenomas. A total of 366 consecutive patients undergoing transsphenoidal surgery for a pituitary adenoma from December 1990 through May 2017 were included in this study. The most common tumor type was nonfunctioning pituitary adenoma (NFPA) (63.7%), followed by prolactin-secreting adenoma (20.5%), growth hormone-secreting adenoma (13.4%), adrenocorticotropin-secreting adenoma (2.2%), and thyrotropin-secreting adenoma (0.2%). This cohort study consisted of 164 male and 202 female patients. The median patients age was 48 years. The median follow-up duration was 63 months. Gross-total resection (GTR) was achieved in 83.7% of patients with a NFPA, 76% of prolactin-secreting adenomas, 71.4% of growth hormone-secreting adenomas, 75% of adrenocorticotropin-secreting adenomas, 100% of thyrotropin-secreting adenomas. There were 326 macroadenomas (69.1%). Surgical outcome was better in patients with microadenomas than in patients with macroadenomas (100% and 77.9%, respectively). Improvement of visual disturbances occurred in 148 (93.7%) of the 158 cases. Hormonal impairment by pituitary adenoma was improved in 105 (87.5%) of the 120 cases. There were 24 (8.2%) cases of recurrence after GTR; 17 patients underwent second surgery, 5 patients received radiotherapy, and the others continued conservative treatment. The median time interval between TSA and recurrence was 56 months. Postoperative cerebrospinal fluid leakage occurred in seven (1.9%) of 366 patients. Transsphenoidal surgery is an effective and safe treatment modality for most patients with pituitary adenoma.

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MON-323 IGF-I Variability and Its Association with Demographic and Clinical Characteristics in Patients with Acromegaly Treated with Injectable Somatostatin Receptor Ligands (SRLS); Results from an International Prospective Phase III Study

Journal of the Endocrine Society ◽

10.1210/jendso/bvaa046.1907 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Susan Leanne Samson ◽

Lisa B Nachtigall ◽

Maria Fleseriu ◽

Ehud Ur ◽

William Henry Ludlam ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Somatostatin Receptor ◽

Phase Iii ◽

Receptor Ligands ◽

Percent Change ◽

Period 2 ◽

Somatostatin Receptor Ligands ◽

Igf I ◽

Phase Iii Study ◽

The Mean

Abstract Background: In clinical practice, most patients responding to injectable somatostatin receptor ligands exhibit IGF-I variability around the upper limit of normal (ULN) during long-term follow up. These fluctuations are thought to result from various factors such as assay variability, nutrition, comorbid conditions, concomitant medications and other unknown factors. The magnitude of this variability, and the factors affecting it, is not well understood in patients with acromegaly treated with injectable SRLs. Methods: IGF-I levels of patients responding to and stably treated with injectable SRLs were measured over time in the CHIASMA OPTIMAL phase III study. Two time periods were assessed - Period 1, three assessments during screening phase before randomization to octreotide capsules (N=56), and Period 2 - multiple assessments up to week 36, in patients rescued with SRL injections for at least 12 weeks (N=21). The time from the last injection to each of the 3 assessments in period 1 [Screening visits 1 and 2 (SV1 & SV2), and Baseline (BL)], was on average 6.8 ± 10.7 (SD), 15.8 ± 2.7, and 29.0 ± 1.8 days respectively. Correlation with various demographics and Baseline characteristics, including age, gender, weight, BMI and residual tumor size to IGF-I variability was assessed. Percent change for each individual patient from Minimal to Maximal IGF-I values within each period was computed and the overall population mean was calculated (lowest value was used as the denominator and all other values were expression as a positive % above this value). Results: The overall mean within-patient percent change of IGF-I levels during Period 1 was 20.48 ± 15.56 (range: 0.6-81). Mean IGF-I levels for SV1, SV2 and BL were 0.78 ± 0.18, 0.79 ± 0.18, and 0.85 ± 0.22 x ULN respectively. The overall increase in mean IGF-I levels from SV1 to BL (longest time interval) was statistically significant (p=0.0002; paired T-test). Analysis of IGF-I levels in patients during Period 2, revealed that the overall mean within-patient percent change of IGF-I levels was 15.27 ± 12.20 (range: 0-41.5). The mean duration of follow up during this period, after patients were already treated for ≥12 weeks with injectable SRL, was 1.72 (± 1.29) months. The variability observed in Period 2 was similar to that observed in the entire sample evaluated in Period 1. No significant differences were found in the mean IGF-I percent change between any demographic or baseline characteristic subgroup examined. Conclusion: IGF-I levels fluctuate in patients with acromegaly who are responsive to injectable SRLs. These fluctuations are wide and can be up to 81% higher than the lowest (most controlled) value, with an average increase of approximately 20%. Significant IGF-I increases were observed at the end of the long acting SRL injection interval. Unless otherwise noted, all abstracts presented at ENDO are embargoed until the date and time of presentation. For oral presentations, the abstracts are embargoed until the session begins. Abstracts presented at a news conference are embargoed until the date and time of the news conference. The Endocrine Society reserves the right to lift the embargo on specific abstracts that are selected for promotion prior to or during ENDO.

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Predicting pituitary adenoma consistency with preoperative magnetic resonance elastography

Journal of Neurosurgery ◽

10.3171/2021.6.jns204425 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-8

Author(s):

Salomon Cohen-Cohen ◽

Ahmed Helal ◽

Ziying Yin ◽

Matthew K. Ball ◽

Richard L. Ehman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pituitary Adenoma ◽

Pituitary Adenomas ◽

Gross Total Resection ◽

Tumor Diameter ◽

Total Resection ◽

Cavernous Sinus Invasion ◽

Multiple Imaging ◽

The Mean ◽

Tumor Consistency ◽

Tumor Stiffness

OBJECTIVE Pituitary adenoma is one of the most common primary intracranial neoplasms. Most of these tumors are soft, but up to 17% may have a firmer consistency. Therefore, knowing the tumor consistency in the preoperative setting could be helpful. Multiple imaging methods have been proposed to predict tumor consistency, but the results are controversial. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of MR elastography (MRE) in predicting tumor consistency and its potential use in a series of patients with pituitary adenomas. METHODS Thirty-eight patients with pituitary adenomas (≥ 2.5 cm) were prospectively evaluated with MRI and MRE before surgery. Absolute MRE stiffness values and relative MRE stiffness ratios, as well as the relative ratio of T1 signal, T2 signal, and diffusion-weighted imaging apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values were determined prospectively by calculating the ratio of those values in the tumor to adjacent left temporal white matter. Tumors were classified into three groups according to surgical consistency (soft, intermediate, and firm). Statistical analysis was used to identify the predictive value of the different radiological parameters in determining pituitary adenoma consistency. RESULTS The authors included 32 (84.21%) nonfunctional and 6 (15.79%) functional adenomas. The mean maximum tumor diameter was 3.7 cm, and the mean preoperative tumor volume was 16.4 cm3. Cavernous sinus invasion was present in 20 patients (52.63%). A gross-total resection was possible in 9 (23.68%) patients. The entire cohort’s mean absolute tumor stiffness value was 1.8 kPa (range 1.1–3.7 kPa), whereas the mean tumor stiffness ratio was 0.66 (range 0.37–1.6). Intraoperative tumor consistency was significantly correlated with absolute and relative tumor stiffness (p = 0.0087 and 0.007, respectively). Tumor consistency alone was not a significant factor for predicting gross-total resection. Patients with intermediate and firm tumors had more complications compared to patients with soft tumors (50.00% vs 12.50%, p = 0.02) and also had longer operative times (p = 0.0002). CONCLUSIONS Whereas other MRI sequences have proven to be unreliable in determining tumor consistency, MRE has been shown to be a reliable tool for predicting adenoma consistency. Preoperative knowledge of tumor consistency could be potentially useful for surgical planning, counseling about potential surgical risks, and estimating the length of operative time.

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Long-term outcomes of lumbar microdiscectomy in the pediatric population: a large single-institution case series

Journal of Neurosurgery Pediatrics ◽

10.3171/2019.6.peds18716 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 24 (5) ◽

pp. 549-557

Author(s):

Malia McAvoy ◽

Heather J. McCrea ◽

Vamsidhar Chavakula ◽

Hoon Choi ◽

Wenya Linda Bi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Conservative Management ◽

Functional Outcomes ◽

Pediatric Patients ◽

Clinical Presentation ◽

Case Series ◽

Csf Leak ◽

Single Institution ◽

The Mean

OBJECTIVEFew studies describe long-term functional outcomes of pediatric patients who have undergone lumbar microdiscectomy (LMD) because of the rarity of pediatric disc herniation and the short follow-up periods. The authors analyzed risk factors, clinical presentation, complications, and functional outcomes of a single-institution series of LMD patients over a 19-year period.METHODSA retrospective case series was conducted of pediatric LMD patients at a large pediatric academic hospital from 1998 to 2017. The authors examined premorbid risk factors, clinical presentation, physical examination findings, type and duration of conservative management, indications for surgical intervention, complications, and postoperative outcomes.RESULTSOver the 19-year study period, 199 patients underwent LMD at the authors’ institution. The mean age at presentation was 16.0 years (range 12–18 years), and 55.8% were female. Of these patients, 70.9% participated in competitive sports, and among those who did not play sports, 65.0% had a body mass index greater than 25 kg/m2. Prior to surgery, conservative management had failed in 98.0% of the patients. Only 3 patients (1.5%) presented with cauda equina syndrome requiring emergent microdiscectomy. Complications included 4 cases of postoperative CSF leak (2.0%), 1 case of a noted intraoperative CSF leak, and 3 cases of wound infection (1.5%). At the first postoperative follow-up appointment, minimal or no pain was reported by 93.3% of patients. The mean time to return to sports was 9.8 weeks. During a mean follow-up duration of 8.2 years, 72.9% of patients did not present again after routine postoperative appointments. The total risk of reoperation was a rate of 7.5% (3.5% of patients underwent reoperation for the same level; 4.5% underwent adjacent-level decompression, and one patient [0.5%] ultimately underwent a fusion).CONCLUSIONSMicrodiscectomy is a safe and effective treatment for long-term relief of pain and return to daily activities among pediatric patients with symptomatic lumbar disc disease in whom conservative management has failed.

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63 Chronic Femoral Osteomyelitis Case Series: Outcomes and Economic Impact at A United Kingdom Based Tertiary Centre

British Journal of Surgery ◽

10.1093/bjs/znab134.222 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 108 (Supplement_2) ◽

Author(s):

E Lau ◽

Z Arshad ◽

A Aslam ◽

A Thahir ◽

M Krkovic

Keyword(s):

Economic Impact ◽

Treatment Protocol ◽

Case Series ◽

Consecutive Series ◽

Financial Loss ◽

Patient Demographics ◽

Tertiary Centre ◽

The Mean ◽

Eq Vas

Abstract Introduction Osteomyelitis refers to an inflammatory process affecting bone and bone marrow. This study reviews chronic femoral osteomyelitis treatment and outcomes, including economic impact. Method We retrospectively collected data from a consecutive series of 14 chronic femoral osteomyelitis patients treated between January 2013 and January 2020. Data collected include patient demographics, comorbidities, pathogens, complications, treatment protocol and costs. Functional outcome was assessed using EuroQOL five-dimensional interview administration questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L™) and EuroQOL Visual Analogue Scale (EQ-VAS™). Results Of these, 92.9% had one or more osteomyelitis risk factor, including smoking and diabetes. Samples from 78.6% grew at least one pathogen. Only 42.9% achieved remission after initial treatment, but 85.7% were in remission at final follow-up, with no signs of recurrence throughout the follow-up period (mean: 21.4 months). The average treatment cost was £39,249.50 with a net mean loss of £19,080.10 when funding was considered. The mean-derived EQ-5D score was 0.360 and the mean EQ-VAS score was 61.7, lower than their values for United Kingdom’s general population, p = 0.0018 and p = 0.013 respectively. Conclusions Chronic femoral osteomyelitis treatment is difficult, resulting in significant economic burden. With previous studies showing cheaper osteomyelitis treatment at specialist centres, our net financial loss incurred suggests the need for management at specialised centres.

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Failed Surgery for Patellar Tendinopathy in Athletes: Midterm Results of Further Surgical Management

Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine ◽

10.1177/2325967121994550 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (3) ◽

pp. 232596712199455

Author(s):

Nicola Maffulli ◽

Francesco Oliva ◽

Gayle D. Maffulli ◽

Filippo Migliorini

Keyword(s):

Surgical Management ◽

Revision Surgery ◽

Case Series ◽

Sports Participation ◽

Patellar Tendinopathy ◽

Symptom Duration ◽

Level Of Evidence ◽

Training Time ◽

The Mean

Background: Tendon injuries are commonly seen in sports medicine practice. Many elite players involved in high-impact activities develop patellar tendinopathy (PT) symptoms. Of them, a small percentage will develop refractory PT and need to undergo surgery. In some of these patients, surgery does not resolve these symptoms. Purpose: To report the clinical results in a cohort of athletes who underwent further surgery after failure of primary surgery for PT. Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: A total of 22 athletes who had undergone revision surgery for failed surgical management of PT were enrolled in the present study. Symptom severity was assessed through the Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment Scale for Patellar Tendinopathy (VISA-P) upon admission and at the final follow-up. Time to return to training, time to return to competition, and complications were also recorded. Results: The mean age of the athletes was 25.4 years, and the mean symptom duration from the index intervention was 15.3 months. At a mean follow-up of 30.0 ± 4.9 months, the VISA-P score improved 27.8 points ( P < .0001). The patients returned to training within a mean of 9.2 months. Fifteen patients (68.2%) returned to competition within a mean of 11.6 months. Of these 15 patients, a further 2 had decreased their performance, and 2 more had abandoned sports participation by the final follow-up. The overall rate of complications was 18.2%. One patient (4.5%) had a further revision procedure. Conclusion: Revision surgery was feasible and effective in patients in whom PT symptoms persisted after previous surgery for PT, achieving a statistically significant and clinically relevant improvement of the VISA-P score as well as an acceptable rate of return to sport at a follow-up of 30 months.

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Management of optic disc pit-associated maculopathy: A case series from a tertiary referral center

European Journal of Ophthalmology ◽

10.1177/11206721211023727 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 112067212110237

Author(s):

Ilkay Kilic Muftuoglu ◽

Ecem Onder Tokuc ◽

V Levent Karabas

Keyword(s):

Optic Disc ◽

Case Series ◽

Internal Limiting Membrane ◽

Maximum Height ◽

Optic Disc Pit ◽

Tertiary Referral Center ◽

Number Of Patients ◽

The Mean ◽

Foveal Center

Purpose: To report outcomes of pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) combined with internal limiting membrane (ILM) stuffing technique in patients with optic disc pit associated maculopathy (ODP-M). Methods: Data including best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central macular thickness (CMT), foveal center point thickness (FCP), and maximum height of fluid (max_fluid) (intraretinal or subretinal) were collected from the medical records of the patients. Results: Six eyes of six patients with a mean age of 28.0 ± 17.68 years (range: 9–53 year) underwent PPV + ILM plug surgery. The mean follow-up duration was 25.62 ± 26.11 months (range: 11.80–78.00 month) duration. The mean BCVA increased from 1.25 ± 1.04 logMAR (20/355, Snellen equivalent) to 0.86 ± 1.09 logMAR (20/144, Snellen equivalent) at last follow-up ( p = 0.043). Compared to baseline, CMT, FCP, and max_fluid significantly decreased at all visits after the surgery ( p < 0.05 for all visits). At last follow-up, 66.6% of the eyes (four eyes) showed complete resolution of fluid at a mean of 5.25 ± 4.99 months (range: 1–12 months) after the surgery. Conclusion: PPV with ILM plug seemed to be an effective surgical technique in ODP-M. Studies with longer follow-up and higher number of patients are needed to confirm our results.

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A Novel Retensioning Technique for Arthroscopic Repair of PASTA Lesions: A Clinical and Radiologic Outcome Study of 24 Shoulders

Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine ◽

10.1177/2325967120986884 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (3) ◽

pp. 232596712098688

Author(s):

Su Cheol Kim ◽

Jong Ho Jung ◽

Sang Min Lee ◽

Jae Chul Yoo

Keyword(s):

Constant Score ◽

Case Series ◽

Tendon Healing ◽

Shoulder Abduction ◽

Level Of Evidence ◽

Simple Shoulder Test ◽

Shoulder Range Of Motion ◽

Functional Scores ◽

The Mean

Background: There is no consensus on the ideal treatment for partial articular supraspinatus tendon avulsion (PASTA) lesions without tendon damage. Purpose: To introduce a novel “retensioning technique” for arthroscopic PASTA repair and to assess the clinical and radiologic outcomes of this technique. Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on 24 patients whose PASTA lesion was treated using the retensioning technique between January 2011 and December 2015. The mean ± SD patient age was 57.6 ± 7.0 years (range, 43-71 years), and the mean follow-up period was 57.6 ± 23.4 months (range, 24.0-93.7 months). Sutures were placed at the edge of the PASTA lesion, tensioned, and fixed to lateral-row anchors. After surgery, shoulder range of motion (ROM) and functional scores (visual analog scale [VAS] for pain, VAS for function, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons [ASES] score, Constant score, Simple Shoulder Test, and Korean Shoulder Score) were evaluated at regular outpatient visits; at 6 months postoperatively, repair integrity was evaluated using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Results: At 12 months postoperatively, all ROM variables were improved compared with preoperative values, and shoulder abduction was improved significantly (136.00° vs 107.08°; P = .009). At final follow-up (>24 months), the VAS pain, VAS function, and ASES scores improved, from 6.39, 4.26, and 40.09 to 1.00, 8.26, and 85.96, respectively (all P < .001). At 6 months postoperatively, 21 of the 24 patients (87.5%) underwent follow-up MRI; the postoperative repair integrity was Sugaya type 1 or 2 for all of these patients, and 13 patients showed complete improvement of the lesion compared with preoperatively. Conclusion: The retensioning technique showed improved ROM and pain and functional scores as well as good tendon healing on MRI scans at 6-month follow-up in the majority of patients. Thus, the retensioning technique appears to be reliable procedure for the PASTA lesion.

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Autologous Matrix-Induced Chondrogenesis for Treatment of Focal Cartilage Defects in the Knee: A Follow-up Study

Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine ◽

10.1177/2325967120981872 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 232596712098187

Author(s):

Justus Gille ◽

Ellen Reiss ◽

Moritz Freitag ◽

Jan Schagemann ◽

Matthias Steinwachs ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Repeated Measures ◽

Demographic Data ◽

Case Series ◽

Defect Size ◽

Lysholm Score ◽

Outcome Analysis ◽

Cartilage Defects ◽

Chondral Defects ◽

The Mean

Background: Autologous matrix-induced chondrogenesis (AMIC) is a well-established treatment for full-thickness cartilage defects. Purpose: To evaluate the long-term clinical outcomes of AMIC for the treatment of chondral lesions of the knee. Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: A multisite prospective registry recorded demographic data and outcomes for patients who underwent repair of chondral defects. In total, 131 patients were included in the study. Lysholm, Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), and visual analog scale (VAS) score for pain were used for outcome analysis. Across all patients, the mean ± SD age of patients was 36.6 ± 11.7 years. The mean body weight was 80.0 ± 16.8 kg, mean height was 176.3 ± 7.9 cm, and mean defect size was 3.3 ± 1.8 cm2. Defects were classified as Outerbridge grade III or IV. A repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to compare outcomes across all time points. Results: The median follow-up time for the patients in this cohort was 4.56 ± 2.92 years. Significant improvement ( P < .001) in all scores was observed at 1 to 2 years after AMIC, and improved values were noted up to 7 years postoperatively. Among all patients, the mean preoperative Lysholm score was 46.9 ± 19.6. At the 1-year follow-up, a significantly higher mean Lysholm score was noted, with maintenance of the favorable outcomes at 7-year follow-up. The KOOS also showed a significant improvement of postoperative values compared with preoperative data. The mean VAS had significantly decreased during the 7-year follow-up. Age, sex, and defect size did not have a significant effect on the outcomes. Conclusion: AMIC is an effective method of treating chondral defects of the knee and leads to reliably favorable results up to 7 years postoperatively.

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Acute bilateral foot drop with or without cauda equina syndrome—a case series

Acta Neurochirurgica ◽

10.1007/s00701-021-04735-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 163 (4) ◽

pp. 1191-1198

Author(s):

Andreas K. Demetriades ◽

Marco Mancuso-Marcello ◽

Asfand Baig Mirza ◽

Joseph Frantzias ◽

David A. Bell ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cauda Equina Syndrome ◽

Cauda Equina ◽

Case Series ◽

Foot Drop ◽

Spinal Disease ◽

Full Resolution ◽

Degenerative Spinal Disease ◽

The Mean ◽

The One

Abstract Introduction Isolated acute bilateral foot drop due to degenerative spine disease is an extremely rare neurosurgical presentation, whilst the literature is rich with accounts of chronic bilateral foot drop occurring as a sequela of systemic illnesses. We present, to our knowledge, the largest case series of acute bilateral foot drop, with trauma and relevant systemic illness excluded. Methods Data from three different centres had been collected at the time of historic treatment, and records were subsequently reviewed retrospectively, documenting the clinical presentation, radiological level of compression, timing of surgery, and degree of neurological recovery. Results Seven patients are presented. The mean age at presentation was 52.1 years (range 41–66). All patients but one were male. All had a painful radiculopathic presentation. Relevant discopathy was observed from L2/3 to L5/S1, the commonest level being L3/4. Five were treated within 24 h of presentation, and two within 48 h. Three had concomitant cauda equina syndrome; of these, the first two made a full motor recovery, one by 6 weeks follow-up and the second on the same-day post-op evaluation. Overall, five out of seven cases had full resolution of their ankle dorsiflexion pareses. One patient with 1/5 power has not improved. Another with 1/5 weakness improved to normal on the one side and to 3/5 on the other. Conclusion When bilateral foot drop occurs acutely, we encourage the consideration of degenerative spinal disease. Relevant discopathy was observed from L2/3 to L5/S1; aberrant innervation may be at play. Cauda equina syndrome is not necessarily associated with acute bilateral foot drop. The prognosis seems to be pretty good with respect to recovery of the foot drop, especially if partial at presentation and if treated within 48 h.

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