Cervical spine epidural abscess caused by brucellosis: A case report and literature review.

We report a rare case of epidural abscess at the cervical 5-cervical 6 (C5-C6) levels. The patient underwent surgery with complete abscess removal through C6 vertebral body corpectomy. The result of bacteriological culture was Brucella melitensis. Brucellosis must be considered as a possible cause of epidural abscess in patients from endemic area.

Mortality and morbidity in patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage: A single-center experience.

Background: Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is the most common cause of non-ischemic strokes. Considering high mortality and poor functional status following ICH, we investigated factors that can predict short-term outcome and affect recovery of these patients. Methods: In this prospective descriptive study, 100 patients with non-traumatic ICH were included. Clinical and radiographic data were collected and extent of disability was measured by modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at discharge, 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months after discharge. Results: 32 of 100 cases died at hospital and 6 more expired during 3-month follow-up. Risk factors of in-hospital mortality were warfarin use, surgical intervention, and high ICH score. Functional status of patients significantly improved 3 months after discharge. Factors associated with poor recovery were age older than 70, history of coronary artery disease (CAD), low Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) at admission, elevated mean arterial pressure (MAP), longer hospitalization, and high ICH score. Conclusion: ICH was associated with high rate of mortality (36%). Warfarin use, surgical intervention, and high ICH score were predictive of mortality during hospitalization and 3-month follow-up. Improvement of functional status began after 1 month and significantly improved 3 months after discharge.

The Impact of Single-Level Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion on Cervical Sagittal Parameters and Its Correlation With Pain and Functional Outcome of Patients With Neck Pain.

BACKGROUND: This study examines the changes in segmental and global cervical sagittal parameters after single-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) in patients with cervical radiculopathy or myelopathy. We also investigate whether these changes have any relation with postoperative pain and functional outcome of the patients. METHODS: Sixty patients (37 females and 23 males) with a mean age of 45.9 ± 9.5 years who were candidates of single-level ACDF due to cervical myelopathy or radiculopathy participated in the study. At baseline, 1 month, and 6 months after ACDF, outcomes of the study including sagittal balance parameters, pain intensity, and Neck Disability Index (NDI) were measured among the patients. Intensity of pain and neck disability were measured using the visual analog scale (VAS) and validated version of NDI, respectively. Using a standard lateral cervical radiography, the Cobb angle for occiput-C2, C1-C2, and C2-C7 as well as operation-level angle (OA; Cobb's angle at the level of discopathy), the thoracic inlet angle, and C7 and T1 slope angles were measured. RESULTS: The intensity of pain and neck disability of patients improved significantly during the follow up of the study comparing with baseline measurements (P < .001). There was a significant correlation between the increase of C2-C7 angle, C1-C2 angle, and OA and improvement in neck pain and NDI at 1- and 6-month follow ups. CONCLUSIONS: We found that changes at C2-C7 angle, C1-C2 angle, and OA have positive significant correlation with clinical outcome including pain improvement and decrease of disability in patients who undergo ACDF. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The results of this study might be beneficial in selection of cervical cages with appropriate size during ACDF surgery, as our findinds showed that larger cages could lead to better functional outcome in patients.

The Effect of Oral Simvastatin on the Clinical Outcome of Patients with Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Background: Despite recent promising pharmacological and technological advances in neurosurgical intensive care, the overall TBI-related mortality and morbidity remain high and still pose a major clinical problem. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of oral simvastatin on the clinical outcome of patients with severe TBI. Methods: In a double-blind placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial a total of 98 patients with severe TBI in Imam Khomeini Hospital in Sari, Iran, were evaluated. Patients who meet the inclusion criteria were randomly allocated into two groups (n=49). In addition to supportive therapies, the intervention group received oral simvastatin (40 mg, daily) for 10 days, and the control group received the placebo (10 days). Patients' Glasgow coma scale (GCS) score, in hospital mortality, duration of mechanical ventilation and length of ICU and neurosurgery ward stay were evaluated during three-time intervals (T1: admission, T2: discharge and T3: one month after discharge). Results: The percentage of conscious patients was 18.9% (7 cases) in the simvastatin group and 3.1% (1 case) in controls (P=0.06) at T2. One month after discharge (T3) the proportion of conscious patients significantly increased in the simvastatin group compared to control group (64.9 % versus 28.1 %; P=0.002). There was no significant difference for the mean of GCS score between the simvastatin group and control group at T1 (6.41 ± 1.30 versus 6.41 ± 1.28, respectively; P = 0.98). However, the mean score of GCS in patients who received simvastatin was significantly greater than controls at T2 and T3 (p<0.05). There was no significant differences between two group in-terms of length of mechanical ventilation, ICU and neurosurgery ward stay. Conclusion: According to the results of this study it seems that using simvastatin may be an effective and promising therapeutic modality for improving GCS score during TBI recovery.

The Effect of Ultra-low-dose Intrathecal Naloxone on Pain Intensity After Lumbar Laminectomy With Spinal Fusion: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Despite advances in pain management, several patients continue to experience severe acute pain after lumbar spine surgery. The aim of this study was to assess the safety and effectiveness of single ultra-low-dose intrathecal (IT) naloxone in combination with IT morphine for reducing pain intensity, pruritus, nausea, and vomiting in patients undergoing lumbar laminectomy with spinal fusion. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this double-blind trial, patients scheduled for lumbar laminectomy with spinal fusion were randomly assigned to receive single ultra-low-dose IT naloxone (20 µg) and IT morphine (0.2 mg) (group M+N) or IT morphine (0.2 mg) alone (group M). The severity of postoperative pain, pruritus and nausea, and frequency of vomiting were assessed at recovery from anesthesia and, subsequently, at 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 hours postoperatively using an 11-point (0-10) visual analogue scale. RESULTS: A total of 77 patients completed the study, and there were significant differences in postoperative pain, pruritus, and nausea visual analogue scale between the groups (P<0.05). After adjusting for body mass index and surgery duration, IT naloxone administration reduced the pain score (coefficient=1.84; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05-2.63; P<0.001), and the scores of pruritus and nausea (coefficient=0.9; 95% CI, 0.44-1.37; P<0.001 and coefficient=0.71; 95% CI, 0.12-1.31; P=0.02, respectively) compared with IT morphine alone. No serious adverse effects were observed. CONCLUSIONS: The addition of ultra-low-dose IT naloxone to IT morphine provides excellent postoperative pain management and effectively controls pruritus and nausea in patients undergoing laminectomy with spinal fusion.

Effects of Minocycline on Neurological Outcomes In Patients With Acute Traumatic Brain Injury: A Pilot Study.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a public health problem worldwide. Secondary damage of brain injury begins within a few minutes after the trauma and can last a long time. It can be reversible, unlike primary injury. Therefore, therapeutic intervention can be used. The aims of this study were to assess the effects of minocycline on neurological function and serum S100B protein and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) levels in patients with moderate to severe TBI. Patients with acute onset of TBI and surgical evacuation of hematoma were randomized to receive either minocycline 100 mg orally twice daily or placebo for 7 days. The primary outcomes included changes in level of S100B and NSE at different time points during the trial. Additionally, changes in Glasgow coma scale (GCS) score were evaluated. The Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended (GOS-E) score at 6 months after injury was assessed in discharge patients. Thirty four patients were randomized into the placebo (n = 20) and treatment (n = 14) groups. There was a marginal statistically significant differences in the normalized value of S100B between groups (p < 0.1). The reduction in serum NSE level from baseline to day 5 was statistically significant (p = 0.01) in minocycline group while it was not significantly decrease in placebo group (p = 0.2). Also, GCS improvement over time within the minocycline group was significant (p = 0.04) while was not significant in placebo group (p = 0.11). The GOS-E scores were not significantly different between minocycline and placebo group. Based on this study, it seems that the use of minocycline may be effective in acute TBI.

Cotreatment with Furosemide and Hypertonic Saline Decreases Serum Neutrophil Gelatinase-associated Lipocalin (NGAL) and Serum Creatinine Concentrations in Traumatic Brain Injury: A Randomized, Single-Blind Clinical Trial.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) occurs both after traumatic brain injury (TBI) and after hypertonic saline administration; furosemide may be useful in preventing AKI indirectly. Serum neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (sNGAL) is superior to serum creatinine (sCr) in diagnosing early AKI. We compared the administration of hypertonic saline plus furosemide (HTS+F) versus hypertonic saline (HTS), using sCr and sNGAL to investigate kidney injury in patients with TBI. This randomized, single-blind clinical trial was conducted from August 2016 to July 2017 in a neurosurgical intensive care unit, and included patients with a Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) 7-13 and brain edema. One group (n = 22) received hypertonic saline 5% (100 mL over 60 min then 20 mL/h) plus furosemide (40 mg over 60 min then 0.05 mg/kg per hour) for 72 h. The other group (n = 21) received only hypertonic saline 5%, in the same dose as noted above. The sCr and sNGAL concentrations, GCS, and length of stay were measured. Mean ± SD differences were -51.15 (47.07) and 9.96 (64.23) ng/mL for sNGAL and -0.12 (0.22) and -0.005 (0.2) mg/dL for sCr in HTS+F group and HTS group respectively (both p < 0.001). The incidence of stage one AKI according to Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) criteria was 4.5% in the HTS+F group and 19.0% in the HTS group (p = 0.16). Hypokalemia was common in both groups. HTS+F group, compared with HTS group, was associated with lower concentrations of sCr and sNGAL. Incidence AKI (KDIGO criteria) did not have difference between groups.