Solitary thoracic osteochondroma causing spinal compression: Case report.

Spinal osteochondromas are very rare, and they present with nonspecific localized pain owing to bone involvement. Diagnosis is made based on direct X-ray and computed tomography (CT) imaging of the exophytic bone lesion with pedunculated or sessile structure. Although asymptomatic patients can be observed, surgical excision is the main treatment modality. We present the case of a 34-year-old man with solitary thoracic osteochondroma. The patient presented with complaints of pain in the legs, numbness, and inability to walk. The diagnosis was confirmed with CT imaging showing calcified heterogeneous bone lesion originating from the left side of T1-2 facet joint. After total excision, histopathological examination revealed the diagnosis of osteochondroma. No new clinical or radiological findings were detected in the 10-month follow-up.

Intrathecal and Intraventricular Administration of Antibiotics in Gram-Negative Nosocomial Meningitis in a Research Hospital in Turkey.

AIM: To evaluate the gram-negative nosocomial meningitis cases which were treated with intrathecal (IT) / intraventricular (IVT) antibiotics. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Medical records were reviewed for IT/IVT antibiotherapy. Gram-negative nosocomial meningitis cases treated with IT/IVT antibiotherapy additional to systemic antibiotics were included. All patients? sex, age, SOFA scores, surgical history, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) culture results, CSF cell counts, systemic and IT/IVT antibiotics, their dosages and duration, CSF culture sterility and sterility time, 28-day mortality due to meningitis, and all other causes were recorded and analyzed. RESULTS: Thirteen patients were included between 2014 and 2018. Most common microorganism was Acinetobacter baumannii (A.baumannii) (8/13). IT/IVT antibiotics were chosen according to susceptibility. Colistin was used in eight patients, amikacin was used in four, and one patient used amikacin and colistin consecutively. Culture negativity could not be achieved in two patients. Eight patients clinically improved but five patients had no clinical response. 28-day mortality due to infection occured in 2 of 13 patients (15%). 28-day all-cause mortality occured in 3 of 13 patients (23%). CONCLUSION: In our study, CSF culture negativity rate was high. IT/IVT antibiotic therapy should be considered as an effective and acceptable treatment option, especially in patients who do not respond to standard IV antibiotherapy.