1/44. Neurologic complications of gas myelography by the lumbar route.Gas myelography is not a new technique, but its acceptance in neuroradiologic diagnosis has been relatively recent. Previously reported series have emphasized the benign nature of this technique and the lack of significant accompanying complications. From a series of 174 gas myelograms performed during a four-year period, two reports are presented wherein transient exacerbation of neurologic deficit followed exchange of cerebrospinal fluid and gas under pressure by the lumbar route. One patient with cervical spondylotic myelopathy experienced an increase in paresis, while another was found to have marked fasciculations. Speculation regarding possible mechanisms involved with these complications is presented. It is suggested that exchange of cerebrospinal fluid and gas under pressure via the lumbar route be used with caution in those patients with compromised cervical spinal cords.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = pressure (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/44. Thoracic spine arachnoid ossification with and without cord cavitation. Report of three cases.Thoracic spine arachnoid ossification is a relatively rare disease that affects mainly women and causes sensory, motor, and sphinctal symptoms associated with inferior limb pain. Based on three cases, the authors comment on pathogenic and surgery-related aspects of the disease. The patient in Case 1 was followed over the course of 23 years. Spinal cavitation is highlighted in Case 2, and yellow, gross, half-ring ossification is described in Case 3. calcium deposits usually occur in the middle and lower thoracic spine where the majority of trabeculated arachnoid cells are located. Operative treatment does not interrupt the ossification process, which continues over time, causing progressive deterioration in the patient. Spinal cavitation can occur due to spinal cord tethering, stretching, and central cord edema formation, accompanied by cerebrospinal fluid blockage and pulse pressure changes. The results of surgical intervention are poor, offering short-term recovery with later deterioration. Multiple pathogenic factors are involved in this clinical syndrome including metabolic changes.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = pressure (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/44. Evaluation of spontaneous intracranial hypotension: assessment on ICP monitoring and radiological imaging.We describe two recent cases of spontaneous intracranial hypotension. A 38-year-old woman developed a severe postural headache. magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed marked dural enhancement. Histopathological findings of dural biopsy showed numerous dilated vessels in the dura, rather than hypertrophic change. Lumber CSF pressure was 5 cmH2O and RI cisternography suggested CSF leakage. A 58-year-old woman with postural headache and vertigo had bilateral subdural haematoma associated with diffuse dural enhancement on MRI. Lumber CSF monitoring confirmed persistent low pressure ranging from 0-5 cm H2O. MRI myelography revealed multiple CSF pouches along the whole spinal axis. CSF leakage was demonstrated on Radioisotope (RI) cisternography. Both cases described in this report were diagnosed as spontaneous intracranial hypotension caused by CSF leakage from spinal meningeal diverticula and were successfully treated by intravenous factor xiii administration.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = pressure (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/44. Intramedullary cysticercosis. Case report, literature review and comments on pathogenesis.A 60-year-old woman developed progressive spastic crural paraplegia and global anesthesia and global anesthesia below T10, succumbing to urinary infection and bronchopneumonia 8 months after the onset of symptoms. At necropsy, the spinal cord was completely destroyed by a necrotic intramedullary cysticercus at T8. Six cysticerci were found in the brain. A review of the 17 published cases of intramedullary cysticercosis (including this one) showed this condition to be clinically indistinguishable from spinal cord tumours. The surgical prognosis was fair in 8 of 11 operated patients. The role of hematogenous and ventriculo-ependymal pathways in the pathogenesis of intramedullary cysticercosis was examined. The topographical distribution of intramedullary cysticerci (5 cervical, 12 thoracic, 2 lumbar, none sacral) was found to be statistically proportional to the blood flow to each of these regions; this favours the hematogenous route of infestation. The low spinal cord blood flow (100 times less than that to the brain), the type of vascularization of the cord (low calibre vessels under low pressure) and peculiarities of the cord tissue (such as its harder consistency) are all thought to be contributory factors accounting for the scarcity of intramedullary cysticerci. No evidence for an ependymal route of spread could be adduced.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = pressure (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/44. Nerve root compression by a gas-containing cyst associated with stenotic lateral recess. Case report and review of the literature.The authors describe a case in which a gas-containing cyst was associated with a stenotic lateral recess at the same level in the absence of any disc material. A young man presented a one-month history of sciatica caused by compression of the left L5 nerve root. The neuroradiological investigations performed (CT, MRI) showed the presence of a gas-containing cyst associated with a stenotic lateral recess. The clinical, etiopathological characteristics and treatment of this condition are discussed and the pertinent literature is reviewed. decompression of the nerve root was obtained by surgery. The herniated gas collected within a capsule (gas-containing cyst) can act as a mass and produce symptoms, much like a herniated nucleus pulposus. The antalgic stance adopted by the patient with marked flexion of the spine helps to distribute the pressure exerted by the cyst over a wider area (Pascal's law I). The appropriate procedure to relieve the radicular compression caused by gas-containing cyst seemed to be the surgical treatment.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = pressure (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/44. Myelopathy and sciatica induced by an extradural S1 root haemangioblastoma.Haemangioblastomas are vascular tumours which mainly involve the central nervous system and retina, often in the setting of von hippel-lindau disease. Haemangioblastomas occurring outside the central nervous system are uncommon. Wherever it is, recognising this tumour prior to surgery is desirable, as preoperative embolisation may be considered. We report the clinical, imaging and pathological features of a sporadic sacral root haemangioblastoma in a 58-year-old man with chronic sciatica and myelopathy. The diagnosis was questioned preoperatively because an enlarged sacral foramen, seen to be filled by a highly vascular, enhancing mass and dilated vessels. Myelopathy was attributed to the presumed high venous pressure resulting from increased flow in veins draining the vascular tumour. Microneurosurgical excision was performed after endovascular embolisation and led to persistent clinical improvement.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = pressure (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/44. Subdural spinal granuloma resulting from candida albicans without immunosufficiency: case report.STUDY DESIGN: This was a case of spinal subdural granuloma of candida albicans. A high cerebrospinal fluid protein level without pleocytosis (albuminocytologic dissociation) was observed. This case proved difficult to diagnose and treat. OBJECTIVES: To clarify the important issues in regard to the diagnosis and treatment of possible spinal subdural granuloma resulting from C. albicans. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Reports on subdural infection of C. albicans are very rare. Moreover, there are no reports of cases in which patients have survived this type of infection. methods: A 66-year-old man developed paralysis in the lower limbs, as well as vesicorectal disorder (anuresis). There were no obvious causes. Signs of meningeal irritation later appeared. A high cerebrospinal fluid protein level without pleocytosis was observed through a laboratory test. The cause of these disorders was unclear, and a final diagnosis could not be made on the basis of the test results and angiograph. Possible diagnoses included tumor, infection, and others such as guillain-barre syndrome. The authors therefore carried out surgery to reduce the pressure on the spinal cord and ultimately make a definitive diagnosis. RESULTS: The final diagnosis was spinal subdural granuloma of C. albicans. granuloma was widespread (T3-T10). Surgery, various drug treatments, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy all contributed to saving the patient's life. CONCLUSION: This was a very rare case of spinal subdural granuloma resulting from C. albicans, and the authors had difficulty diagnosing and treating the patient. A distinctive gadolinium-enhanced MRI was obtained. The effect of treatment by drugs alone was limited. An intraoperative ultrasonography proved useful. The authors concluded that a combination of early surgery and hyperbaric oxygen therapy was effective.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = pressure (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/44. Flow-by induced hypoventilation in high spinal cord lesions--report of two cases.Flow triggering in ventilators is an alternative to pressure triggering. Differences between these two trigger mechanisms may not be clinically significant in most patients. We report two patients with high spinal cord lesions in whom the use of flow triggering was unsuccessful. Severe muscle weakness in these patients made them sensitive to small changes in ventilator trigger characteristics.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = pressure (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/44. Low-pressure headaches and spinal cord herniation. Case report.Almost 40 cases of spontaneous transdural spinal cord herniation have been reported in the literature. These patients often present with gait disturbance and sensory changes, and their condition is diagnosed as brown-sequard syndrome. The pathogenesis of this condition has remained poorly understood. In particular, there is no agreement whether the dural defect is acquired or congenital. In the reported case, a 21-year-old man presented with a 3-year history of intermittent low-pressure headaches consistent with intracranial hypotension. Eventually, the headaches resolved but he developed myelopathy due to a spinal cord herniation. In this case, the authors hypothesize that the progressive spinal cord herniation through a spontaneous dural tear sealed the site of the cerebrospinal fluid leak, causing the resolution of headaches.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2.5keywords = pressure (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/44. Evaluation of anorectal function in patients with tethered cord syndrome: saline enema test and fecoflowmetry.OBJECT: Disturbance in anorectal function is a major factor restricting the activities of daily living in patients with spinal cord disorders. To detect changes in anorectal motilities due to a tethered spinal cord, anorectal functions were evaluated using a saline enema test and fecoflowmetry before and after patients underwent untethering surgery. methods: The bowel functions in five patients with a tethered cord syndrome (TCS) were evaluated by performing a saline enema test and fecoflowmetry. The contractile activity of the rectum, the volume of infused saline tolerated in the rectum, anal canal pressure, and the ability to evacuate rectal content were examined. The characteristic findings in anorectal motility studies conducted in patients with TCS were a hyperactive rectum, diminished rectal saline-retention ability, and diminished maximal flow in saline evacuation. A hyperactive rectum was considered to be a major contributing factor to fecal incontinence. In one asymptomatic patient diminished anal squeezing pressure was exhibited and was incontinent to liquid preoperatively, but recovered after surgery. Two patients who underwent surgery for myeloschisis as infants complained of progressive fecal incontinence when they became adolescents. In one patient fecal incontinence improved but in another patient no improvement was observed after untethering surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Fecodynamic studies allow the detection of neurogenic disturbances of the anorectum in symptomatic and also in asymptomatic patients with TCS. More attention should be paid to the anorectal functions of patients with TCS.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = pressure (Clic here for more details about this article) |
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