Pyogenic and Non-Pyogenic Spinal Infections: Diagnosis and Treatment

Author(s):  
Nandan Amrit Marathe ◽  
Giuseppe Tedesco ◽  
Annamaria Chiesa ◽  
Abhinandan Reddy Mallepally ◽  
Maddalena Di Carlo ◽  
...  

: Spinal infection (SI) is an infection of vertebral bodies, intervening disc, and/or adjoining para-spinal tissue. It represents less than 10 % of all skeletal infections. There are numerous factors that predispose to developing a SI. Due to the low specificity of signs, delayed diagnosis is common. Hence, SI may be associated with poor outcomes. Diagnosis of SI must be supported by clinicopathological and radiological findings. MRI is a reliable modality of choice. Treatment options vary according to the site of the infection, disease progression, neurology, presence of instability, and general condition of the subject. Conservative treatment (orthosis/ bed-rest + antibiotics) is recommended during the early course with no/ lesser degree of neurological involvement and to medically unfit patients. Nevertheless, when conservative measures alone fail, surgical interventions must be considered. The use of concomitant antimicrobial drugs intravenously during initial duration followed by oral administration is a necessity. Controversies exist regarding the optimal duration of antimicrobial therapy, yet never given less than six weeks. Heterogeneity in clinical picture and associated co-morbidities with a range of treatment modalities are available; however, a common applicable guideline for SI does not exist. Managing SI must be tailored on a case-to-case basis.

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  

Background: Pseudomeningoceles are extradural collections of CSF that result following a breach in the dural– arachnoid layer. Pseudomeningoceles are recognized complications after cranial and spinal surgery with some centers reporting an incidence exceeding 40%. Aims and Objectives: To evaluate the predictors of post-operative pseudomeningoceles in neurosurgical practice. To formulate a standardised management protocol for treatment of pseudomeningocele. Materials and Methods: This is a prospective study where all cases of cranial and spinal pseudomeningoceles were taken into consideration from October 2016 to October 2018 (2 years ).There were 45 consecutive cases of pseudomeningocele were included in the study. Results: Among the total cranial and spinal cases operated in one year period at our institute incidence of pseudomeningocele was noted to be 1.1% (45/3892). 38 (84.4%) were cranial cases, among them 21 (46.7%) were supratentorial and 17 (37.8%) were infratentorial, 5 (15.6%) cases had primary water tight dural closure, 33 ( 73.3%) duraplasty done using pericranial fascia, Dura was not kept opened in any cases and artificial sealants were not used in any case.7 (15.6%) were spinal cases and 4 cases dura was not opened and didn’t recognize any leak,3 cases dura was opened and primary dural closure done in 2 cases and 1 case closure was done using a muscle graft, no artificial sealants were used. Pseudomeningocele was managed with multiple treatment modalities and best treatment options noted were bed rest with tight bandage application (44.4%), Continuous lumbar drain for 5 days (17.8%), Intermittent lumbar drainage for 5 days (13.3%), these three constituted 75.5% of successful treatment modality used. Post pseudomeningocele development hydrocephalus was noted in 7 (15.6%) among them 3 (6.7%) cases required ventriculo-peritoneal shunt. Only 2(4.4%) patients developed complications like csf leak and meningitis and 3 (6.7%) cases had mortality. Conclusion: We conclude that in our study pseudomeningocele was found to be more common in the supratentorial compartment in contrast to other studies in literature, majority of the cases subsided with conservative management, type of closure of the dura did not impact the outcome, meningitis was not a significant etiology and standardized management protocol has been proposed for effective management of pseudomeningocele.


2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Pavwoski ◽  
Anita Valanju Shelgikar

AbstractPurpose of review:Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a global problem with implications for general health and quality of life, and is often encountered in patients with neurologic disease. This review outlines treatment modalities to consider for management of OSA in patients with neurologic disease.Recent findings:New advances in positive airway pressure (PAP) devices, oral appliances, and surgical interventions offer a wide range of treatment options for patients with OSA.Summary:PAP therapy remains the gold standard treatment for OSA. Other treatment modalities may be considered for OSA patients who decline or cannot tolerate PAP therapy. Some OSA patients may benefit from multimodal treatment.


2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 177-182
Author(s):  
Pratham Surya ◽  
Rahul Pankhania ◽  
Saif Ul Islam

Suprascapular neuropathy is often overlooked as a cause for shoulder pain in overhead athletes and can be misdiagnosed for many months, even years. With recent advancements in the understanding of the condition as well as its treatment methods, suprascapular neuropathy is now being diagnosed more frequently. However with a multitude of treatment options, it can be difficult to choose the optimal management. In this systematic review, we have carried out a detailed literature search about suprascapular neuropathy looking into evidence-based diagnostic workup and treatment modalities available. Repetitive overhead activities, rotator cuff tear and direct compression of the nerve by space-occupying lesion are important etiologies for suprascapular neuropathy. Whilst MRI is widely used for the identification of space-occupying lesions and rotator cuff injury; Electromyography (EMG) and Nerve Conduction Studies (NCS) remain gold standards for confirming injury to the nerve. Conservative treatment modalities including physiotherapy and activity modification, nerve blocks, arthroscopic and open surgical interventions are the main treatment options for suprascapular neuropathy.


VASA ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 163-176 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weidenhagen ◽  
Bombien ◽  
Meimarakis ◽  
Geisler ◽  
A. Koeppel

Open surgical repair of lesions of the descending thoracic aorta, such as aneurysm, dissection and traumatic rupture, has been the “state-of-the-art” treatment for many decades. However, in specialized cardiovascular centers, thoracic endovascular aortic repair and hybrid aortic procedures have been implemented as novel treatment options. The current clinical results show that these procedures can be performed with low morbidity and mortality rates. However, due to a lack of randomized trials, the level of reliability of these new treatment modalities remains a matter of discussion. Clinical decision-making is generally based on the experience of the vascular center as well as on individual factors, such as life expectancy, comorbidity, aneurysm aetiology, aortic diameter and morphology. This article will review and discuss recent publications of open surgical, hybrid thoracic aortic (in case of aortic arch involvement) and endovascular repair in complex pathologies of the descending thoracic aorta.


Author(s):  
Hiroo Kimura ◽  
Akira Toga ◽  
Taku Suzuki ◽  
Takuji Iwamoto

Abstract Background Fracture-dislocations of all four ulnar (second to fifth) carpometacarpal (CMC) joints are rare hand injuries and frequently overlooked or missed. These injuries can be treated conservatively when closed reduction is successfully achieved, though they are sometimes irreducible and unstable. Case Description We report the case of a 17-year-old boy involved in a vehicular accident. Clinical images showed dorsal dislocation of all four ulnar CMC joints of the left hand associated with a fracture of the base of the fourth metacarpal. Although closed reduction was attempted immediately, the affected joints remained unstable and easily redislocated. Therefore, we performed open reduction and percutaneous fixation of all ulnar CMCs. He showed excellent recovery after 1 year postoperatively, reported no pain, and demonstrated complete grip strength and range of motion of the affected wrist and fingers. Literature Review Accurate clinical diagnosis of this lesion is difficult because of polytrauma, severe swelling masking the dislocated CMC joint deformity, and overlapping of adjacent metacarpals and carpal bones on radiographic examination. As for the treatment strategy, it has yet to obtain a consensus. Some reports value open reduction to guarantee anatomical reduction, and it is definitely needed in the patients with interposed tissues to be removed or with subacute and chronic injuries. Clinical Relevance Delayed diagnosis or treatment could lead to poor outcomes. Therefore, surgeons must be aware that precise preoperative assessment is critical, and anatomical open reduction of interposed bony fragments, like our case, may be required even in an acute phase.


2011 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frederic Baumann ◽  
Nicolas Diehm ◽  
◽  

Patients with critical limb ischaemia (CLI) constitute a subgroup of patients with particularly severe peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAD). Treatment modalities for these patients that often exhibit multilevel lesions and severe vascular calcifications are complicated due to multiple comorbidities, i.e. of cardiac and vascular but also of renal origin. These need to be taken into consideration while planning treatment options. Although CLI is associated with considerably high morbidity and mortality rates, the clinical outcome of patients being subjected to revascularisation has improved substantially in recent years. This is mainly due to improved secondary prevention strategies as well as dedicated endovascular innovations for this most challenging patient cohort. The aim of this article is to provide a discussion of the contemporary treatment concepts for CLI patients with a focus on arterial revascularisation.


Author(s):  
Dr. Sunil Kumar Mehra, Dr. Dinesh Kumar Barolia, Dr. Arun Kumar Gupta, Dr. Vinita Chaturv

Intussusception is the most common cause of intestinal obstruction in infants and children in < 1yr of age (1). Intussusception cases usually reported late therefore operative procedure was inevitable and results in significant morbidity and mortality. By this study we emphasized on timely transfer of intussusception case to a pediatric surgical center so as to decrease surgical risk. The surgical morbidity was low in those who were admitted early or directly to our center.  Methods - We retrospectively reviewed cases of intussusception in children <15 years. Children were treated from October 2015 to December 2107 at pediatric surgery department of SMS medical college Jaipur Rajasthan. Age, sex, month of admission, symptom with duration, diagnostic methods, and treatment modalities were recorded and analyzed.  Results - We studied 300 patients with intussusception.272 (90%) were treated surgically. We recently started ultrasonography guided pneumatic reduction and 24(85.7%) out of 28 treated successfully by it. Out of the patients requiring surgery 202 (67.34%) patients were reduced by per-operative manual reduction and in 60(22%) patients resection and anastomosis with 10(3.6%) treated with resection and ileostomy. 25.34% cases have delayed diagnosis and lately  transferred from peripheral hospitals requiring resection and diversion. Conclusion - In conclusion, Intussusception cases usually reported late therefore high likelihood of surgical management. The patients who underwent resection have longer duration of hospital stay.


2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (35) ◽  
pp. 2997-3013
Author(s):  
Kentaro Kogushi ◽  
Michael LoPresti ◽  
Shunya Ikeda

Background: Synovial sarcoma (SS) is a rare, aggressive soft tissue sarcoma with a poor prognosis after metastasis. The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review of the clinical evidence for therapeutic options for adults with metastatic or advanced SS. Materials & methods: Relevant databases were searched with predefined keywords. Results: Thirty-nine publications reported clinical data for systemic treatment and other interventions. Data on survival outcomes varied but were generally poor (progression-free survival: 1.0–7.7 months; overall survival: 6.7–29.2 months) for adults with metastatic and advanced SS. A high frequency of neutropenia with systemic treatment and low quality of life post-progression were reported. Conclusion: Reported evidence suggests poor outcomes in adults with metastatic and advanced SS and the need for the development of new treatment modalities.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Raymond J. Langley ◽  
Marie E. Migaud ◽  
Lori Flores ◽  
J. Will Thompson ◽  
Elizabeth A. Kean ◽  
...  

AbstractAcute respiratory failure (ARF) requiring mechanical ventilation, a complicating factor in sepsis and other disorders, is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Despite its severity and prevalence, treatment options are limited. In light of accumulating evidence that mitochondrial abnormalities are common in ARF, here we applied broad spectrum quantitative and semiquantitative metabolomic analyses of serum from ARF patients to detect bioenergetic dysfunction and determine its association with survival. Plasma samples from surviving and non-surviving patients (N = 15/group) were taken at day 1 and day 3 after admission to the medical intensive care unit and, in survivors, at hospital discharge. Significant differences between survivors and non-survivors (ANOVA, 5% FDR) include bioenergetically relevant intermediates of redox cofactors nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) and NAD phosphate (NADP), increased acyl-carnitines, bile acids, and decreased acyl-glycerophosphocholines. Many metabolites associated with poor outcomes are substrates of NAD(P)-dependent enzymatic processes, while alterations in NAD cofactors rely on bioavailability of dietary B-vitamins thiamine, riboflavin and pyridoxine. Changes in the efficiency of the nicotinamide-derived cofactors’ biosynthetic pathways also associate with alterations in glutathione-dependent drug metabolism characterized by substantial differences observed in the acetaminophen metabolome. Based on these findings, a four-feature model developed with semi-quantitative and quantitative metabolomic results predicted patient outcomes with high accuracy (AUROC = 0.91). Collectively, this metabolomic endotype points to a close association between mitochondrial and bioenergetic dysfunction and mortality in human ARF, thus pointing to new pharmacologic targets to reduce mortality in this condition.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (13) ◽  
pp. 2803
Author(s):  
Carolin Czauderna ◽  
Martha M. Kirstein ◽  
Hauke C. Tews ◽  
Arndt Vogel ◽  
Jens U. Marquardt

Cholangiocarcinomas (CCAs) are the second-most common primary liver cancers. CCAs represent a group of highly heterogeneous tumors classified based on anatomical localization into intra- (iCCA) and extrahepatic CCA (eCCA). In contrast to eCCA, the incidence of iCCA is increasing worldwide. Curative treatment strategies for all CCAs involve oncological resection followed by adjuvant chemotherapy in early stages, whereas chemotherapy is administered at advanced stages of disease. Due to late diagnosis, high recurrence rates, and limited treatment options, the prognosis of patients remains poor. Comprehensive molecular characterization has further revealed considerable heterogeneity and distinct prognostic and therapeutic traits for iCCA and eCCA, indicating that specific treatment modalities are required for different subclasses. Several druggable alterations and oncogenic drivers such as fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 gene fusions and hotspot mutations in isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 and 2 mutations have been identified. Specific inhibitors have demonstrated striking antitumor activity in affected subgroups of patients in phase II and III clinical trials. Thus, improved understanding of the molecular complexity has paved the way for precision oncological approaches. Here, we outline current advances in targeted treatments and immunotherapeutic approaches. In addition, we delineate future perspectives for different molecular subclasses that will improve the clinical care of iCCA patients.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document