A Negative-Pressure Face-Mounted System Reduces Aerosol Spread during Endonasal Endoscopic Surgery.

Purpose Due to the potential risk of COVID-19 transmission during endonasal surgery, we studied methods to reduce droplet and aerosol generation during these procedures. Methods Droplet spread was assessed using ultraviolet light and a camera that detected fluorescence in the operative field and surgeon's personal protective equipment. Density of aerosols sized <10 µm was measured using a photometric particle counter. We designed a face-mounted negative-pressure mask placed on the patients' face during endoscopic endonasal surgery. Sixteen patients were recruited between October 2020 and March 2021 and randomly assigned to the mask and no-mask groups. We compared droplet spread and aerosols generated in both groups, with copious irrigation and continuous suction during drilling forming the mainstay of surgical technique in all cases. Results Droplet contamination due to direct spillage of fluorescein from the syringe was noted in two patients. Aerosol density rose during sphenoid drilling in both groups, with no significant difference when continuous suction and irrigation were employed (1.27 times vs. 1.07 times the baseline, p = 0 .248 ). Aerosol density rose significantly when suction and irrigation were interrupted in the no-mask group (44.9 times vs. 1.2 times, p = 0 .028) , which was not seen when the mask was used. Conclusion Aerosol generation increases during drilling in endonasal procedures and is a concern during this pandemic. The use of a rigid suction close to the drill along with copious irrigation is effective in reducing aerosol spread. The use of a negative pressure mask provides additional safety when inadvertent blockage of suction and inadequate irrigation occur.

Tuberculosis of the Spinal Cord.

Tuberculosis involving the spinal cord is associated with high mortality and disabling long-term sequelae. Although tuberculous radiculomyelitis is the most frequent complication, pleomorphic clinical manifestations exist. Diagnosis can be challenging among patients with isolated spinal cord tuberculosis due to diverse clinical and radiological presentations. The principles of management of tuberculosis of the spinal cord are primarily derived from, and dependent upon, trials on tuberculous meningitis (TBM). Although facilitating mycobacterial killing and controlling host inflammatory response within the nervous system remain the primary objectives, several unique features require attention. The paradoxical worsening is more frequent, often with devastating outcomes. The role of anti-inflammatory agents such as steroids in adhesive tuberculous radiculomyelitis remains unclear. Surgical interventions may benefit a small proportion of patients with spinal cord tuberculosis. Currently, the evidence base in the management of spinal cord tuberculosis is limited to uncontrolled small-scale data. Despite the gargantuan burden of tuberculosis, particularly in lower and middle-income countries, large-scale cohesive data are surprisingly sparse. In this review, we highlight the varied clinical and radiological presentations, performance of various diagnostic modalities, summarize data on the efficacy of treatment options, and propose a way forward to improve outcomes in these patients.

Unilateral Biportal Percutaneous Transforaminal Endoscopic Lumbar Foraminal Decompression and Discectomy: A Technical Note.

Background and Introduction: Minimally invasive spine surgery (MISS) is a set of techniques and procedures that reduces the local tissue injury while achieving the same results through traditional open surgery. The techniques for the treatment of lumbar disc herniation and degenerative canal stenosis have evolved from tubular discectomy to endoscopic discectomy. This helps in preserving spine function. Good clinical outcomes have been reported with the use of an endoscope for degenerative lumbar disc disease. Objective: In this video abstract, we present a case lumbar foraminal stenosis in an elderly man that was treated successfully using unilateral biportal endoscopic spine surgery. (UBESS). Surgical Technique: A 70-year-old man presented with progressive neurogenic claudication and left L4 numbness and paresthesias. His claudication distance was 200 m. His MRI Lumbosacral spine showed severe left L4-5 foraminal stenosis due to a disc prolapse. The patient underwent a left-sided unilateral biportal endoscopic transforaminal decompression and discectomy at L4-5 successfully. Postoperative period was uneventful and the patient had significant relief in his symptoms. Postoperative MRI Lumbosacral spine showed no muscle damage with adequate decompression at left L4-5 level. Results: The patient had an uneventful recovery. Conclusion: Biportal percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic discectomy/decompression is an ideal alternative to the uniportal endoscopic and minimal invasive microsurgery for foraminal and paracentral disc herniations and lateral recess and foraminal stenosis.

Impact of Grade on Survival in Pleomorphic Xanthoastrocytoma and Low Prevalence of BRAF V600E Mutation.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of BRAFV600E mutations in pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma (PXA) World Health Organization (WHO) Grade 2 and PXA WHO Grade 3 reported varies from 60% to 80%, yet the prognostic implications remain unclear. METHODS: We reviewed the demographic and clinicoradiologic data of 20 PXAs WHO Grade 2 and 13 PXAs WHO Grade 3, operated between 2007 and 2020, to ascertain extent of excision, recurrence, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS). PXAs WHO Grade 3 were defined by the presence of >5 mitoses/high-power field. PXAs WHO Grade 3 received adjuvant radiation therapy and chemotherapy whereas PXAs received radiation therapy if subtotally excised. All samples were analyzed for the presence of BRAFV600E mutation using DNA obtained from paraffin blocks using droplet-digital polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: The median patient age at diagnosis was 22 years with a male preponderance. BRAFV600E mutations were noted in 30% of tumors; 8 PXAs WHO Grade 2 and 2 PXAs WHO Grade 3. Recurrence occurred in 6 of 13 PXA WHO Grade 3 (55%) and 1 of 20 PXAs WHO Grade 2 (5%). At median follow-up of 45 months, the OS was 54 months and 33 months in the PXA WHO Grade 2 and PXA WHO Grade 3 groups, respectively (P = 0.02). OS and PFS did not differ between BRAF-mutated and BRAF-negative tumors. CONCLUSIONS: BRAFV600E mutations are less frequent in our population than reported in the literature. The BRAF mutation does not significantly impact OS and PFS. PXAs WHO Grade 3 are a distinct clinical entity, associated with worse PFS and OS than PXAs WHO Grade 2.

Lumbar Erector Spinae Plane Block for Posterior-Superior Iliac Spine Bone Graft Site Pain in Patients Undergoing Occipitocervical and C1-C2 Fusion for Atlantoaxial Dislocation/Odontoid Fracture-A Case Series.

Pain at the autologous bone graft site from the posterior-superior iliac spine (PSIS) is severe enough to affect the postoperative ambulation. It adds to the morbidity of the surgical procedure. Inadequate pain management at the graft site not only affects the postoperative recovery but also can lead to chronic pain. We report the use of ultrasound (US)-guided lumbar erector spinae plane block (ESPB), to deliver effective analgesia for this pain. Patients who underwent occipitocervical fusion (OCF) and C1-C2 fusion using PSIS for atlantoaxial dislocation (AAD)/odontoid fracture from January to March 2020 and who received US-guided lumbar ESPB were retrospectively studied. All the necessary data were collected from the inpatient hospital, anesthesia, and the acute pain service records. A total of six patients received lumbar ESPB, of which one received a single shot injection, and the rest five had a catheter placement for postoperative analgesia. The average volume of intraoperative and postoperative bolus was 27(range: 15-30) and 21 (range: 15-30) mL of 0.2% ropivacaine, respectively. All patients achieved a unilateral sensory blockade ranging from L1 to L3 dermatomes. None of our patients had a numerical rating scale of > 4 on movement at any time point during the first 48 hours except in one, in whom only a single shot bolus was given. No complications related to ESPB were noted. All were ambulated on the second postoperative day except one. The average length of hospital stay was 6 (range: 4-10) days. US-guided lumbar ESPB provides excellent analgesia for PSIS bone graft site pain and promotes early ambulation.

Dynamic imaging of the craniovertebral junction is mandatory in patients with posterior circulation strokes.

INTRODUCTION: The course of the vertebral artery after exiting from the C1 foramen transversarium and prior to entering the dura lends itself to compression in C1-2 instability. However, atlantoaxial dislocation presenting with vertebrobasilar insufficiency and posterior circulation stroke (PCS) is rare. METHODS: In this retrospective study, we identified 96 patients with PCS who had complete radiological data. Ten (10.4%) patients had craniovertebral junction (CVJ) anomalies, of which six underwent surgery and four were managed conservatively. The clinical and functional outcomes were measured in the two groups. RESULTS: Left-sided strokes were seen in 7/10 patients, the majority of whom had left dominant vertebral arteries. The mean age at presentation in those with CVJ anomalies was 27.2 ± 12.8 years that was significantly lower than those without CVJ anomalies, 52.2 ± 14.5 years (p ≤ 0.001). The etiologies of PCS in those < 50 years were CVJ anomalies (30%), atherosclerosis (30%) and vasculitis (27%); however, the overwhelming majority of strokes in the > 50 year age group was atherosclerosis (91%). Postoperatively, there were no recurrent strokes in the operated patients, who also obtained significant clinical improvement on the modified Rankin Scale, Nurick Scale and modified McCormick Scale as compared to those who did not undergo surgery. CONCLUSION: Early diagnosis and surgical treatment of CVJ instability prevent recurrent strokes and improve outcomes in patients with PCS. Physicians and spine surgeons need to be sensitized regarding CVJ anomalies as a cause of PCS enabling early diagnosis with dynamic imaging particularly in the younger age group. These slides can be retrieved under Electronic Supplementary Material.

An Unusual Cause of Cervical Radicular Pain-Foreign Body in Esophagus.

INTRODUCTION: Foreign bodies in the esophagus are considered to be a life-threatening condition in adults and children because of esophageal perforation, chemical pneumonitis, airway obstruction, and development of a fistula, leading to high morbidity and mortality with this condition. Most cases present with immediate symptoms. However, in rare cases, the foreign body can migrate within the tissues and become symptomatic at a later date. CASE REPORT: We report a rare case of a foreign body in the esophagus following fishmeal ingestion. The foreign body had traversed the lumen of the esophagus and migrated into the neural foramina with impingement of the left C6 root with resulting left C6 radicular pain. Radiology and successful surgical management is discussed herein, along with relevant literature. CONCLUSION: Radiculopathy after foreign body ingestion is very rare. In patients presenting with persistent radicular pain, in particular in close proximity to the neurovascular structures, we advise early surgery to prevent a neurological deficit.

Cortical Aquaporin-4 in relation to brain oedema and neurological function of cortical cryo-injured mice.

To estimate the spatial and temporal expression of Aquaporin-4 (AQP-4) in a murine model of automated cerebral cryoinjury and correlate AQP-4 expression with development of brain oedema and neurological function. AQP-4 levels were determined quantitatively by Western blots at site of injury and at sites adjacent to and distant from injury in brains of cryoinjured (experimental) (n=18), sham injured (n=18) & normal mice at 24, 48, 72h post injury. AQP-4 expression was correlated with percentage water content of brain, Neurological Severity Score (NSS) and rotarod scores. We found a 1.4-fold increase in expression of AQP-4 at the site of injury and at sites distant from injury at 24h when compared to normal mice (p=0.05). The increase in expression of AQP-4 24h post injury was significantly higher in experimental group at the site of injury and at the site adjacent to the injury in the ipsilateral hemisphere when compared to the sham injured mice (p=0.05). At 24h post injury the median NSS score in the experimental group was 9 (interquartile range 7.25-10) and that in the sham group was 0.5 (interquartile range 0.0-1.0) (p<0.001). At 48 and 72h, AQP-4 expression remained elevated in the experimental group when compared to normal brain, but the levels were not significantly different from that in sham group. AQP-4 expression was significantly elevated in the ipsilateral hemisphere in the first 24h following cerebral cortical injury in mice and this could be correlated with worsening of neurological function. Over the next 48h, there was a trend towards decrease in AQP-4 expression that was associated with partial recovery of neurological function.