Pathophysiology and treatment for cervical flexion myelopathy.
(73/809)
Previous studies have suggested that spinal cord compression by the vertebral bodies and intervertebral discs during neck flexion cause cervical flexion myelopathy (CFM). However, the exact pathophysiology of CFM is still unknown, and surgical treatment for CFM remains controversial. We examined retrospectively patients with CFM based on studies of the clinical features, neuroradiological findings, and neurophysiological assessments. The objectives of this paper are to investigate the pathophysiology of CFM, and to examine an optimal surgical treatment. Twenty-three patients (20 male, three female) with age of onset ranging from 11 to 23 years (mean 15.7 years) were examined for the study. All patients were inspected by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), myelogram, or computed tomographic myelogram (CTM) of the cervical spine. In eight patients, dynamic motor evoked potentials (MEP) studies were performed. Five patients underwent surgical treatment; two patients had cervical duraplasty with laminoplasty, two patients had musculotendinous transfer, one patient had both of these procedures, and the remaining 18 patients were treated conservatively. Amyotrophy of the hand intrinsic and flexor muscle group of the forearm except the brachioradial muscle was observed hemilaterally in 20 patients and bilaterally in three patients. In three patients, T1-weighted MRI with neck flexion showed linear high intensity regions in the epidural space. In all patients, axial MRI/CTM demonstrated flattening of the spinal cord with the posterior surface of the dura mater shifting anteriorly. The amplitude of MEPs decreased after cervical flexion in two patients with progressive muscular atrophy. In three patients, dysesthesia of the upper extremities disappeared following cervical duraplasty. Musculotendinous transfer for three patients significantly improved the performance of their upper extremity. The findings of this study suggest that degenerative changes of the dura mater may be a characteristic pathology of CFM. Cervical duraplasty with laminoplasty is effective for cases at an early stage, and musculotendinous transfer should be selected in patients at a late stage. (+info)
Intramedullary spindle cell hemangioendothelioma of the thoracic spinal cord--case report.
(74/809)
A 28-year-old Malay man presented with progressive paraparesis over a period of 6 months. Magnetic resonance imaging of the spine revealed a thoracic intramedullary spinal cord tumor at the T-7 level with homogeneous enhancement following intravenous gadolinium administration. Laminectomy and partial decompression of the tumor was performed. Histological examination of the tumor revealed features of spindle cell hemangioendothelioma. The patient was managed with limited field radiotherapy followed by systemic interferon therapy. Good neurological improvement was seen subsequently. The patient has survived 48 months with growth restraint at the primary site, although residual neurological deficit persists. Immunotherapy should be considered as a treatment modality for intramedullary hemangioendothelioma of the spinal cord after surgery and radiotherapy. (+info)
Percutaneous vertebroplasty for the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures: a preliminary report.
(75/809)
BACKGROUND: This report assesses the efficacy and safety of percutaneous vertebroplasty for osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures and reports on preliminary results of its use. METHODS: The technique was used on 50 patients with 86 painful vertebral fractures, all of which had failed to respond to earlier conservative medical treatment. The technique involves percutaneous puncture of the involved vertebra via a transpedical approach followed by injection of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) into the compressed vertebra. Patients were asked to quantity their degree of pain on Huskisson's visual analogue scale (VAS) to assess the clinical symptoms and surgical results. RESULTS: The procedures were technically successful in all patients, and no complications relating to either the anesthesia or the surgical procedure were reported. The quantity of PMMA injected per vertebral body varied from 2.5 to 12 ml according to both the position of the damaged vertebra(e) and the severity of the compression fracture. Pain, as assessed on the Huskisson's VAS, decreased from 82 +/- 15 mm at the baseline to 37 +/- 22 mm on the first postoperative day, and 32 +/- 19 mm at 1 month. Reductions in pain from the baseline to the first day and to 1 month were both statistically significant (p < 0.05). All patients were able to return to their previous activity and quality of life. CONCLUSION: Through the expertise and attention of experienced surgeons, percutaneous vertebroplasty appears to provide a very good surgical choice for patients with vertebral compression fractures, as this surgical procedure is able to eliminate the risk of major spinal surgery, and through prompt pain relief, may provide early mobilization and rehabilitation for elderly polymorbid patients. (+info)
Congenital narrowing of the cervical spinal canal.
(76/809)
The clinical and laboratory findings in six patients with congenital narrowing of the cervical spinal canal and neurological symptoms are described. A variable age of onset and an entirely male occurrence were found. Signs and symptoms of spinal cord dysfunction predominated in all but one patient. Symptoms were produced in five patients by increased physical activity alone. Congenital narrowing of the cervical spinal canal may result in cord compression without a history of injury and occasionally without evidence of significant bony degenerative changes. The clinical features may be distinguishable from those found in cervical spondylosis without congenital narrowing. Intermittent claudication of the cervical spinal cord appears to be an important feature of this syndrome. Surgery improved four out of five people. (+info)
Percutaneous vertebroplasty: new treatment for vertebral compression fractures.
(77/809)
Interventional radiologists have been performing image-guided spinal procedures for many years. Percutaneous vertebroplasty is a newer technique in which a medical grade cement is injected though a needle into a painful fractured vertebral body. This stabilizes the fracture, allowing most patients to discontinue or significantly decrease analgesics and resume normal activity. The impact of this procedure on the morbidity and expense associated with symptomatic osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures in the United States may be significant. Patients who are unresponsive to conservative therapy of bed rest, analgesics, and back bracing should be considered for vertebroplasty. This procedure is contraindicated in patients with active infection, untreated coagulopathy, and certain types of fracture morphology. Because many patients have multiple chronic fractures, there should be a strong correlation between the physical examination signs, symptoms, and cross-sectional imaging findings. The success rate for this procedure in treating osteoporotic fractures is 73 to 90 percent. Vertebroplasty can effectively treat aggressive hemangiomas of the vertebral body and may be palliative in patients with malignant pathologic fractures. Significant complications of the procedure are less than 1 percent. (+info)
Electroporation-mediated pain-killer gene therapy for mononeuropathic rats.
(78/809)
The relatively low expression levels achieved from transferred genes have limited the application of nonviral vectors for gene transfer into the spinal cord in vivo. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of electroporation-mediated pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) gene therapy for neuropathic pain using an animal model of chronic constrictive injury (CCI). Firstly, the optimal pulse characteristics (voltage, pulse duration, number of shocks) were investigated for in vivo electroporation-mediated gene transfer into the spinal cord. The electroporation process makes use of plasmid DNA, which expresses the POMC gene. Expression levels were evaluated in this study by Western blot. We conclude that the optimal conditions for electroporation are a pulse voltage of 200 V, 75-ms duration, 925-ms interval, for five iterations. Secondly, electroporation treatment for neuropathic pain was attempted on CCI rats using plasmid DNA that expresses the POMC gene. Intrathecal administrations of the POMC vector elevated spinal beta-endorphin levels, as manifested in a significantly elevated pain threshold for the CCI limbs. This result suggests that gene therapy for neuropathic pain using this novel technique is very efficacious, and thus shows promise for further clinical trials. (+info)
Cervical myelopathy due to a "tight dural canal in flexion" with a posterior epidural cavity.
(79/809)
A 41-year-old man noticed weakness and atrophy in his right hand and forearm resembling the non-progressive juvenile muscular atrophy of unilateral upper extremity (Hirayama's disease). MRI showed an abnormal cavity in the posterior epidural space which appeared on neck flexion communicating with the subarachnoid space in addition to the flattening of the lower cervical spinal cord on neck flexion. When evaluating atypical cases of Hirayama's disease, the pathomechanism demonstrated in the present case should be taken into consideration. (+info)
Spinal reconstruction for symptomatic thoracic haemangioma using a titanium cage.
(80/809)
Most vertebral haemangiomas are asymptomatic. A case of spinal reconstruction for symptomatic extraosseous thoracic haemangioma using a titanium cage is reported. Radiographs of the T11 vertebra demonstrated characteristic vertical striations. Magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography showed spinal cord compression by extraosseous tumour extension. Several tumour feeding vessels were shown by angiography. Through a transpedicular biopsy, a histological diagnosis of cavernous haemangioma was made. Embolisation of feeding vessels was performed using coils before surgery. Laminectomy and subtotal vertebrectomy were performed by a single posterior approach. Rigid stabilisation of the spine was achieved with pedicle screw systems and a cage filled with an autogenous bone graft. Five months postoperatively, stabilisation of the spine was established without loosening of the cage or pedicle screws. Clinical symptoms were improved. (+info)