Spinal cord arteriovenous malformation presenting as chest pain in a child.

STUDY DESIGN: A case report of spinal arteriovenous malformation presented as chest pain in a child. OBJECTIVES: To illustrate the atypical clinical presentation as right chest pain in a child with spinal cord arteriovenous malformation. SETTING: Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University, Taiwan. CASE REPORT: An 8-year-old boy was diagnosed with spinal cord arteriovenous malformation after paraplegia. However, early diagnosis was delayed for the atypical initial clinical presentation as chest pain. After surgery and rehabilitation for 6 months, the patient could walk without assistance. CONCLUSIONS: Correct diagnosis of spinal cord arteriovenous malformations is sometimes difficult in children with atypical presentations. Early diagnosis relies on detailed examination and high index of suspicion.

Body weight, serum uric acid and lipid profile one year after spinal cord injury.

BACKGROUND: Survey of the serum lipoprotein profile, uric acid levels and body weight in Chinese patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) one year after injury, and to report the data of patients with SCI at different levels. METHODS: Seventy-seven Chinese patients with SCI categorized into cervical SCI, thoracic SCI, and lumbar SCI groups were enrolled in the study. The serum uric acid and lipoprotein profiles of these patients were evaluated one year after injury. All of the data in those different groups of SCI patients were compared with normal levels. Body weight before and after injury were also evaluated. RESULTS: Serum uric acid was within normal limits in all three SCI groups. A similar lower in serum high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) level was observed in all three groups of SCI patients. Higher serum levels were observed in total cholesterol (TC) in the lumbar SCI group, triglyceride and very low density lipoprotein cholesterol in the thoracic and lumbar SCI group, and TC/HDL-C ratio in all three SCI groups. Decrease of body weight were noted in cervical and thoracic SCI patients. CONCLUSION: Further long-term follow up was necessary to determine the serum lipid and body weight change in patients with SCI at different levels.

Intracavernous injection of prostaglandin E1 in spinal cord injured patients with erectile dysfunction. A preliminary report.

Our experience with intracavernous injection of prostaglandin E1 in spinal cord injured patients with neurogenic erectile dysfunction included 15 men. They received testing dosage starting from 5 micrograms with increasing dosage (maximum 20 micrograms) to achieve a rigid erection of Schramek's grade 5 and lasting for at least 20 min. All of them had achieved functional erection adequate for coitus after treatment except one patient who had been proved to have venogenic impotence. We found that intracavernous injection of prostaglandin E1 had significantly improved the erectile condition. No systemic side effect or any other complication was noted except that pain at the injection site was complained of in two patients with incomplete lesion.