Preventative effect of diclofenac sodium and/or diltiazem in rats with epidural fibrosis.

OBJECTIVE: Spinal epidural fibrosis is commonly seen after laminectomy. There is not yet proven any agent preventing fibrosis in clinical usage. We used diclofenac sodium and diltiazem, which are fibrosis inhibitors. METHODS AND MATERIALS: 40 rats were divided into four groups of equal numbers: control, diclofenac sodium, diltiazem, and diclofenac sodium + diltiazem. Laminectomies were performed at L5 and L6. After a 4 week period, the rats were decapitated and the vertebral column blocks were removed for histopathologic examination. Fibrosis percentage, spread of fibrous regions, and fibroblast numbers were evaluated in each group and compared between the groups. RESULTS: The distribution of epidural fibrosis density, percentage of fibrosis, and distribution of fibroblasts in the diclofenac sodium + diltiazem group were significantly lower than in the other groups. The fibroblast numbers of the diltiazem, and diclofenac sodium + diltiazem groups were significantly lower than in the other groups. CONCLUSION: Diclofenac sodium + diltiazem used together provided better outcomes because each of them prevented fibrosis via different ways, probably through synergistic action (Tab. 5, Fig. 3, Ref. 43).

Progressive flexor tendon sheath infection on hand after needle puncture during surgery: a case report.

INTRODUCTION: Flexor tendon sheath infection may be due to trauma, laceration, or bites, commonly directly inoculating the sheath. Kanavel cardinal signs in flexor tendon sheath infection cases consist of symmetrical swelling of the entire digit, a digit with semi-flexed posture, exquisite tenderness along the course of the tendon sheath, and pain with attempted passive extension of the digit. Elevated levels of inflammation markers such as white blood cell count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and C-reactive protein are often found in such cases. Flexor tendon sheath infections require immediate diagnosis and treatment to prevent poor clinical outcomes. This paper reports one case of severe flexor tendon sheath infection with poor outcomes that required ray amputation of the affected finger. CASE PRESENTATION: A 35-year-old Sundanese male presented to the emergency department with right middle finger pain accompanied with swelling, blister, and blackened color 24 hours after accidental puncture by suture needle during gynecologic surgery. The patient was a resident physician of the obstetrics/gynecology department. The finger was necrotic with blisters at the proximal phalanx of the palmar aspect. Both the palmar and the dorsal aspects of the hand were swollen and inflamed, with firmer swelling on the dorsal part. The necrotic area had extended to the middle phalanx. The patient has been diagnosed with flexor tendon sheath infection with compartment syndrome. Immediate surgical debridement and fasciotomy with shoelace technique at the distal interphalangeal joint were performed. On the initial presentation, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, white blood cell count, and C-reactive protein were elevated. Smear culture was negative. A clear boundary of necrosis at the level of the middle phalanx of the right middle finger was found; subsequently, disarticulation at the level of the distal phalanx was performed. A ray amputation was performed to preserve the hand's function for performing surgeries in the future. CONCLUSION: Prompt diagnosis and treatment of flexor tendon sheath infection are required to prevent complications. Progressive inflammation around infected soft tissue due to untreated tenosynovitis may lead to poor outcomes and may lead to the amputation of the affected finger. This condition may occur even in medical professionals; as such, awareness for proper protection during any medical procedure and prompt treatment-seeking are encouraged.

Giant cavernous haemangioma in an infant.

Cavernous haemangiomas are benign vascular lesions of the central nervous system. Their size varies from a few millimetres to several centimetres. Giant and paediatric cases are rare. This report presents a 10-month-old baby with a giant multilobular cavernous haemangioma in the left parietal lobe who presented with seizures.

Epidural extension of a lumbar vertebral haemangioma.

Vertebral haemangiomas are relatively common, but those extending into the epidural space are rare. A 59-year-old man with severe lower back and right leg pain that did not resolve with conservative treatment was seen in an outpatient clinic. Magnetic resonance imaging of the lumbar spine identified an L3 vertebral corpus lesion with epidural extension. The diagnosis was unclear, so the patient underwent surgery. The pathologic diagnosis was capillary haemangioma, so angiography-guided embolization was performed postoperatively. Vertebral haemangioma must be considered when there is evidence of a vertebral corpus lesion with epidural extension on magnetic resonance imaging.

Intracranial epidural abscess secondary to isolated sphenoid sinusitis.

Isolated sphenoid sinus infection, although an uncommon entity, can cause severe cranial complications when left untreated. A case of temporal epidural abscess secondary to isolated sphenoid sinusitis in a 13-year-old boy is presented. Early diagnosis and treatment are critical because the disease can progress rapidly.

A retained surgical sponge (gossypiboma) mimicking a paraspinal abscess.

Gossypiboma (textiloma, gauzoma, muslinoma) is a rare iatrogenic mass caused by the retention of gauze fibres during surgery. This intraoperative complication has rarely been reported for an intraspinal or paraspinal location. Here, we present a patient in whom a retained surgical sponge between the paraspinal muscles was encountered 3 years after lumbar surgery, and discuss the radiological and pathological appearance and differential diagnosis.

MRI determination of conus medullaris level in an adult population in Turkey.

The level of the conus medullaris (CM) in adults has been described in many studies with cadavers and living people. T1-weighted sagittal spin-echo MR images of the lumbar spine were reviewed in 364 consecutive patients (207 women, 157 men) with a mean age of 45 years (range 18-80). The most common level of CM was the L1-L2 intervertebral disc level in females and the T12-L1 intervertebral disc level in males. The distribution of CM location in a large adult population was shown to range from the T11-T12 intervertebral disc level to L2-L3 intervertebral disc level.

Posterior epidural migration of a lumbar disc fragment causing cauda equina syndrome: case report and review of the relevant literature.

Posterior epidural migration (PEM) of free disc fragments is rare, and reported PEM patients usually presented with radicular signs. An uncommon case involving a patient with cauda equina syndrome due to PEM of a lumbar disc fragment is reported with a review of the literature. The patient described in this report presented with an acute cauda equina syndrome resulting from disc fragment migration at the L3-L4 level that occurred after traction therapy for his lower back pain. The radiological characteristics of the disc fragment were the posterior epidural location and the ring enhancement. A fenestration was performed and histologically confirmed sequestered disc material was removed. An early postoperative examination revealed that motor, sensory, urological, and sexual functions had been recovered. At late follow-up, the patient was doing well after 18 months. Sequestered disc fragments may occasionally migrate to the posterior epidural space of the dural sac. Definite diagnosis of posteriorly located disc fragments is difficult because the radiological images of disc fragments may mimic those of other more common posterior epidural lesions.