Catamenial mononeuropathy and radiculopathy: a treatable neuropathic disorder

1998 ◽  
Vol 88 (5) ◽  
pp. 827-830 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric L. Zager ◽  
Samantha M. Pfeifer ◽  
Mark J. Brown ◽  
Michael H. Torosian ◽  
David B. Hackney

Object. The aim of this study was to investigate the indications and treatment options in patients with lower-extremity neuropathies and radiculopathies caused by endometriosis. Methods. The authors identified five patients whose symptoms included catamenial pain, weakness, and sensory loss involving the sciatic and femoral nerves and multiple lumbosacral nerve roots. Radiographic studies supported the diagnosis of catamenial neuropathy or radiculopathy, but definitive diagnosis depended on surgical and pathological examination. Treatment of symptoms, including physical therapy and a course of antiinflammatory or analgesic medication, was not helpful. Patients responded favorably to hormonal therapy. Laparoscopy or open exploration for extrapelvic lesions was performed for diagnosis or for treatment when hormone therapy failed. Pain and sensory symptoms responded well to therapy. Weakness improved, but never recovered completely. Conclusions. Catamenial neuropathy or radiculopathy should be considered when evaluating reproductive-age women with recurring focal neuropathic leg pain, weakness, and sensory loss.

1974 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 229-234 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. F. Abdullah ◽  
Edward W. Ditto ◽  
Edward B. Byrd ◽  
Ralph Williams

✓ The authors believe that posterior lumbar disc herniations that occur far laterally (beneath, or beyond the facet) present a clinical picture and special problems of diagnosis different from those encountered with the usual herniations within the spinal canal. In a series of 204 consecutive disc operations, there were 24 “extreme-lateral” disc herniations at the second, third, or fourth lumbar interspace, none at the lumbosacral joint. When compared with the incidence of posterior herniations above the fourth interspace, it appeared that “extreme-lateral” herniations were responsible for the majority of second, third and fourth lumbar root compressions. The clinical syndrome is characterized by anterior thigh and leg pain, absent knee jerk, and sensory loss in the appropriate dermatome but also by the absence of back pain, typical back signs, or positive Lasegue's sign. Reproduction of pain and paresthesia by lateral bending to the side of the lesion is a reliable diagnostic sign. The authors report that myelography fails to disclose these lesions, while discography often proves helpful.


1988 ◽  
Vol 68 (4) ◽  
pp. 559-565 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian F. Pollack ◽  
Peter J. Jannetta ◽  
David J. Bissonette

✓ Thirty-five patients with trigeminal neuralgia (TN) bilaterally underwent posterior fossa microvascular decompression (MVD) between 1971 and 1984. They comprised 5.0% of a larger series of 699 patients with TN who underwent MVD during that interval. Compared to the subgroup of 664 patients with only unilateral symptoms, the population with bilateral TN included a greater percentage of females (74% vs. 58%, p < 0.1), a higher rate of “familial” TN (17% vs. 4.1%, p < 0.001), and an increased incidence of additional cranial nerve dysfunction (17% vs. 6.6%, p < 0.05) and hypertension (34% vs. 19%, p < 0.05). Of the 35 patients with bilateral TN, 10 underwent bilateral MVD (22 procedures) and 25 underwent unilateral MVD (30 procedures). In the latter patients, pain on the nonoperative side was well controlled with medication alone or had previously been treated by ablative procedures. Good or excellent pain control was achieved after one MVD was performed in 40 of the 45 sides treated (89%), and was maintained 1, 5, and 10 years after surgery in 82%, 66%, and 60%, respectively, based on life-table analysis. Six of 10 patients with recurrent symptoms underwent repeat unilateral MVD. Good or excellent long-term pain control was maintained in all six. With these repeat procedures included, symptom control at 1, 5, and 10 years after initial surgery was maintained in 87%, 78%, and 78% of the treated sides, respectively. Overall, 26 of 35 patients (74%) maintained good or excellent pain relief throughout the duration of the study (mean follow-up period 75 months) without resumption of regular medication usage. Although preoperative neurological deficits resulting from previous ablative procedures were seen in the majority of patients before MVD, no patient developed new major trigeminal sensory loss or masseter weakness after MVD. Operative mortality was zero. The results indicate that posterior fossa MVD is an effective and relatively safe treatment for the majority of patients with bilateral “idiopathic” TN, avoiding the risks of bilateral trigeminal nerve injury seen with other approaches.


1984 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 200-203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeff S. Compton ◽  
Nicholas W. C. Dorsch

✓ A case is reported of a 45-year-old man who developed quadriplegia following a trivial motor-vehicle accident. Investigation including computerized tomography (CT) of the cervical spine revealed a large calcified lesion displacing the spinal cord and nerve roots, which proved to be a tuberculoma. The case is unusual in regard to the age of the patient, the size, location, and nature of the lesion, the mode of presentation, and the delineation of the lesion by CT scanning.


1973 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 528-532 ◽  
Author(s):  
James E. McLennan ◽  
William T. McLaughlin ◽  
Stanley A. Skillicorn

✓ A patient is described who developed an acute, occult, lumbosacral nerve root meningocele following a partial traumatic avulsion of the L-4 and L-5 nerve roots accompanied by fracture of the pelvis and fibula. Almost total functional recovery ensued. The differences between acute and chronic nerve root meningoceles are discussed, as well as the possibility of surgical intervention.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bijan J. Borah ◽  
Elizabeth A. Stewart

Uterine leiomyomas (fibroids) affect 20–40% of reproductive age women and are the major indication for hysterectomy. Magnetic Resonance-guided Focused Ultrasound Surgery (MRgFUS) is a new, potentially disruptive, non-invasive and uterine-sparing treatment option that has been shown to yield similar or better clinical outcomes than other uterine-sparing interventions. However, the costs of MRgFUS and other minimally-invasive treatment options have not been studied using US practice data. This study attempts to fill this void. And since uterine fibroids are the first FDA-approved indication for MRgFUS treatment, this study may also have implications for other indications which are now investigational.


2005 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 441-446 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masahiro Kanayama ◽  
Tomoyuki Hashimoto ◽  
Keiichi Shigenobu ◽  
Fumihiro Oha ◽  
Shigeru Yamane

Object. Serotonin or 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) is a chemical mediator associated with nucleus pulposus—induced radiculopathy. Inhibition of 5-HT receptors may potentially alleviate symptoms in patients with lumbar disc herniation. This prospective randomized controlled study was performed to evaluate the efficacy of the 5-HT2A receptor inhibitor in the treatment of symptomatic lumbar disc herniation. Methods. Forty patients with sciatica due to L4–5 or L5—S1 disc herniation were randomly allocated to treatment with the 5-HT2A inhibitor (sarpogrelate 300 mg/day) or nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs; diclofenac 75 mg/day). Low-back pain, leg pain, and numbness were evaluated using a visual analog scale (VAS) before and after a 2-week course of treatment. The patients received only allocated medicine during the 2-week regimen and were thereafter allowed to choose any treatment options depending on their residual symptoms. One-year clinical outcomes were assessed based on the rates of additional medical interventions. The mean VAS score improvements in the 5-HT2A and NSAID groups were 33 and 46% for low-back pain, 32 and 32% for leg pain, and 35 and 22% for leg numbness, respectively. After the 2-week regimen, no additional medical interventions were required in 50% of 5-HT2A—treated patients and 15% of those receiving NSAIDs. Epidural or nerve root block procedures were performed in 35% of the 5-HT2A group and 45% of the NSAID group. Surgery was required in 20% of the 5-HT2A group and 30% of the NSAID group patients. Conclusions. The current study provided evidence that the efficacy of the 5-HT2A inhibitor was comparable with that of NSAID therapy for lumbar disc herniation. The 5-HT2A inhibitor has the potential to alleviate symptoms in patients with lumbar disc herniation.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valerie A Flores ◽  
Hugh S Taylor

Endometriosis is a chronic, gynecologic disease affecting 6 to 10% of reproductive age women. Pelvic pain, dyspareunia, and infertility are the most common symptoms of endometriosis that can have a significant impact on patients’ lives. Although the etiology remains largely unknown, the role of estrogens in the development and growth of endometriosis is well characterized. Medical and surgical therapies are the two cornerstones of endometriosis management. Following diagnosis of endometriosis, treatment options will be dependent on patient preference (ie, seeking pain relief versus fertility treatment). Future research aimed at targeting altered molecular pathways in patients with endometriosis will hopefully help mitigate the burden of this debilitating disease. This review contains 5 figures, 7 tables, and 75 references. Key Words: aberrant gene expression, altered immunity, endometriosis, infertility, medical and surgical therapy, pelvic pain, retrograde menstruation, stem cells


1981 ◽  
Vol 55 (6) ◽  
pp. 991-992 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timir Banerjee ◽  
Dexter D. Koons

✓ Two cases of entrapment of the superficial peroneal nerve are presented. This is an unusual cause for leg discomfort and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of leg pain.


2003 ◽  
Vol 99 (3) ◽  
pp. 320-323 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yong Ahn ◽  
Sang-Ho Lee ◽  
Woo-Min Park ◽  
Ho-Yeon Lee

✓ The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy and feasibility of posterolateral percutaneous endoscopic lumbar foraminotomy (PELF) for foraminal or lateral exit zone stenosis of the L5—S1 level in the awake patient. Twelve consecutive patients with L5—S1 foraminal stenosis and associated leg pain underwent PELF between May 2001 and July 2002. Under fluoroscopic guidance, posterolateral endoscopic foraminal decompression was performed using a bone reamer, endoscopic forceps, and a laser. Using this new technique, the authors removed part of the hypertrophied superior facet, thickened ligamentum flavum, and protruded disc compressing the exiting (L-5) nerve root. Clinical outcome was measured using the Macnab criteria. The mean follow-up period was 12.9 months. All the patients were discharged within 24 hours. Satisfactory (excellent or good) results were demonstrated in 10 patients. There was no complication. The PELF procedure provides a simple alternative for treating lumbar foraminal or lateral exit zone stenosis in selected cases. The authors found that the posterolateral endoscopic approach to the L5—S1 foramen was usually possible and that using a bone reamer to undercut the superior facet was effective.


2004 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 179-187 ◽  
Author(s):  
John E. McGillicuddy

✓ The common diagnoses of cervical radiculopathy and upper-extremity entrapment neuropathies can at times be difficult to differentiate. Additionally, thoracic outlet syndrome is often diagnosed when, in fact, the problem is radiculopathy or neuropathy. Another source of confusion, especially in older patients, is neuralgic amyotrophy, brachial plexitis, or the Parsonage—Turner syndrome. The differential diagnosis of unilateral arm pain, weakness, and/or sensory loss includes all of these problems. The clinical and electrodiagnostic features of each are discussed as an aid to distinguishing between these common and similar entities.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document