1/2395. Development of rib notching after a cava-pulmonary anastomosis.A patient with tetralogy of fallot and mitral regurgitation developed unilateral rib notching on the right side secondary to a palliative cava-pulmonary anastomosis. After the operation, decreased perfusion of the right upper and middle lobes stimulated the development of collateral vessels from the systemic circulation to the right pulmonary artery. To our knowledge, this is the first time that this has been described.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = upper (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/2395. Postoperative gas bubble foot drop. A case report.STUDY DESIGN: An unusual case of foot drop occurring 10 days after disc surgery is reported. Imaging studies identified a gas bubble compressing the nerve root. OBJECTIVE: To describe the origin and management of a radiculopathy caused by an intraspinal gas bubble. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: A recurrent lumbar disc herniation was diagnosed by clinical and imaging studies. A vacuum disc also was noted at the same level. These are common and not considered to be of pathologic significance. methods: The patient underwent a microdiscectomy for a lumbar disc extrusion. The postoperative course was excellent, with relief of symptoms and no neurologic deficit. Ten days later, the awoke with a foot drop and pain in the leg. Imaging studies showed a 4-mm gas bubble compressing the nerve root. Oral steroids were given for 10 days. RESULTS: Progressive improvement occurred, and the patient was asymptomatic 6 weeks later. Although in some instances it may be necessary to evacuate intraspinal gas, an initial period of observation is warranted, because the gas and its resulting symptoms may disappear spontaneously. CONCLUSION: Intradiscal gas accumulation, better known as vacuum disc, is considered to be a benign indication of degenerative disc disease. On occasion it can be a cause of symptoms. A case is reported in which gas leaked after surgery into the spinal canal, causing a foot drop. The symptoms and gas disappeared spontaneously without further treatment.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 4.1790093470859keywords = pain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/2395. paraplegia, a severe complication to epidural analgesia.We report four cases where continuous epidural analgesia resulted in epidural abscesses (EA) causing spinal cord damage and paraplegia. The first symptom of EA was intense back pain, which developed 0-20 days after removal of the epidural catheter. The diagnosis of EA was not made prior to the development of severe neurologic disturbances in any of the patients. In all cases there was a time lag of 2-4 days between the first symptoms and institution of the appropriate treatment.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 8.3745576242172keywords = pain, back pain, back (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/2395. akinetic mutism after fourth ventricle choroid plexus papilloma: treatment with a dopamine agonist.BACKGROUND: akinetic mutism is a behavioral state wherein a patient seems to be awake but does not move or speak. Several patients are reported to have developed mutism after posterior fossa surgery. We present a patient who developed akinetic mutism after total excision of a choroid plexus papilloma of the fourth ventricle, and who was treated with bromocriptine. CASE DESCRIPTION: An 18-year-old woman was admitted with akinetic mutism, which had developed 6 days after posterior fossa surgery. She had had no neurologic deficit in the first 5 days after surgery and could communicate with her family. Despite antioedematous therapy and daily lumbar punctures to drain cerebrospinal fluid, there was no clinical improvement after she entered the akinetic mute state. brain magnetic resonance revealed ventriculomegaly; brain single photon emission computed tomography revealed bilateral reduction of perfusion in the frontal region. Because daily lumbar drainage did not result in clinical improvement, shunt placement was not considered. bromocriptine therapy was begun at a dose of 2x2.5 mg; 24 hours later, the patient started to speak and move her upper extremities. Further improvement occurred over the following week when the dose was increased to 3x2.5 mg. bromocriptine was replaced with a placebo to determine whether the neurologic improvement was caused by the medicine. The patient's neurologic status deteriorated progressively; therefore, bromocriptine was restarted and she was discharged from the hospital. During the 6 months of follow-up, the patient has remained in good health. CONCLUSIONS: The etiology of akinetic mutism is not clear. Monoaminergic pathways, particularly dopaminergic cell groups, are most probably involved in this syndrome, because bromocriptine has a dramatic effect on these patients, as demonstrated in our case.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = upper (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/2395. Acute torsion of the renal transplant after combined kidney-pancreas transplant.BACKGROUND: Surgical complications after combined kidney and pancreas transplantation are a major source of morbidity and mortality. Complications related to the pancreas occur with greater frequency as compared to renal complications. The occurrence in our practice of two cases of renal infarction resulting from torsion about the vascular pedicle led to our retrospective review of similar vascular complications after combined kidney and pancreas transplantation. methods: charts were reviewed retrospectively, and two patients were identified who experienced torsion about the vascular pedicle of an intra-abdominally placed renal allograft. RESULTS: Two patients who had received combined intraperitoneal kidney and pancreas transplantation presented at 16 and 11 months after transplant, respectively, with abdominal pain and decreased urine output. One patient had radiological documentation of abnormal rotation before the graft loss; unfortunately, the significance of this finding was missed. diagnosis was made in both patients at laparotomy, where the kidneys were infarcted secondary to torsion of the vascular pedicle. Both patients underwent transplant nephrectomy and subsequently received a successful second cadaveric renal transplant. CONCLUSIONS: The mechanism of this complication is a result of the intra-abdominal placement of the kidney, length of the vascular pedicle, excess ureteral length, and paucity of adhesions secondary to steroid administration. These factors contribute to abnormal mobility of the kidney. Technical modifications such as minimizing excess ureteral length and nephropexy may help to avoid this complication.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 6.8685695715773keywords = pain, abdominal pain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/2395. Treatment for empyema with bronchopleural fistulas using endobronchial occlusion coils: report of a case.We report herein the case of a woman with bronchopleural fistulas treated with the endobronchial placement of vascular embolization coils. She was referred to our hospital to undergo lavage of a postoperative empyema. She had undergone an air plombage operation for pulmonary tuberculosis 9 years previously. However, bronchopleural fistulas occurred postoperatively and she had to continue the use of a chest drainage tube since then. Lavage of her empyema space with 5kE of OK-432 (picibanil: Chugai) plus 100 mg minocycline was performed once every 2 weeks for 3 months, and the purulent discharge from the empyema remarkably decreased. Thereafter, the bronchopleural fistulas were occluded endobronchially by the placement of vascular embolization coils. Soon after the procedure, air leakage from the fistulas was stopped and the drainage tube was removed 2 days later. The patient remains well without any additional treatment at 20 months after this treatment. As treatment for empyema with bronchopleural fistulas, it would be worth trying to lavage the empyema space with OK-432 until it is cleaned out and to plug the fistulas by the endobronchial placement of embolization coils, before such radical operations as thoracoplasty and space-filling of the empyema are considered.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1.0775428144529keywords = chest (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/2395. Osteoid osteoma of the vertebral body: a clinical case.The authors describe a case of lumbar vertebral osteoid osteoma localized in the body of L5 characterized by a very subtle clinical onset (limping as a result of poor positioning of the hip), and by a clinical course where pain was totally absent.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 4.1790093470859keywords = pain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/2395. Isolated tuberculosis of the pancreas after orthotopic liver transplantation.A patient presented with intermittent high fever, upper abdominal pain, and loss of appetite 9 months after an orthotopic liver transplantation. Computed tomography showed a large mass in the pancreas that was confirmed at laparotomy. Pathological examination of the pancreatic biopsy specimen showed several chronic granulomatous lesions with caseating necrosis. Two and one half months after beginning antituberculous treatment, there was an important reduction of the pancreatic mass.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 7.8685695715773keywords = pain, abdominal pain, upper (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/2395. thrombosis of mitral valve prosthesis presenting as abdominal pain.A 67-year-old woman presented with abdominal pain, anemia, and leukocytosis. Five years previously, the patient had undergone mitral valve replacement with a St. Jude bileaflet mechanical prosthesis. After her admission, echocardiography confirmed an immobile leaflet of the prosthetic valve. At urgent surgery, thrombosis and pannus, obstructing the disc, were found, and the mechanical valve was replaced with a bioprosthesis. The incidence of mitral valve thrombosis is low, ranging from 0.1% to 5.7% per patient per year. patients who receive inadequate anticoagulation, particularly with valve prostheses in the mitral position, have an increased risk for thrombus or pannus formation. Presentation varies, from symptoms of congestive heart failure or systemic embolization, to fever or no symptoms. New or worsening symptoms in a patient with a prosthetic heart valve should raise concerns about prosthetic dysfunction. Aggressive investigation and, if indicated, urgent or emergency surgery for treatment can be lifesaving.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 34.342847857887keywords = pain, abdominal pain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/2395. Intrathoracic suture abscess after lobectomy for early lung cancer.Intrathoracic suture abscess may occur around sutures on the pleura or in the lung parenchyma, although it is rare to encounter such cases clinically. We report on a 68-year-old woman with an intrathoracic (extrapulmonary) suture abscess, which was discovered on a chest x-ray film one year after right-middle lobectomy for early lung cancer. The abscess was removed surgically, and the postoperative course was uneventful. Pathological examination showed that it was caused by braided polyester sutures.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1.0775428144529keywords = chest (Clic here for more details about this article) |
| | Next -> |