A Human Sensory Pathway Connecting the Foot to Ipsilateral Face That Partially Bypasses the Spinal Cord.

Human sensory transmission from limbs to brain crosses and ascends through the spinal cord. Yet, descriptions exist of ipsilateral sensory transmission as well as transmission after spinal cord transection. To elucidate a novel ipsilateral cutaneous pathway, we measured facial perfusion following painfully-cold water foot immersion in 10 complete spinal cord-injured patients, 10 healthy humans before and after lower thigh capsaicin C-fiber cutaneous conduction blockade, and 10 warm-immersed healthy participants. As in healthy volunteers, ipsilateral facial perfusion in spinal cord injured patients increased significantly. Capsaicin resulted in contralateral increase in perfusion, but only following cold immersion and not in 2 spinal cord-injured patients who underwent capsaicin administration. Supported by skin biopsy results from a healthy participant, we speculate that the pathway involves peripheral C-fiber cross-talk, partially bypassing the cord. This might also explain referred itch and jogger's migraine and it is possible that it may be amenable to training spinal-injured patients to recognize lower limb sensory stimuli.

Global Adverse Event Reports of Breast Implant-Associated ALCL: An International Review of 40 Government Authority Databases.

BACKGROUND: Tracking world cases of breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) is currently limited to patient registries at a few academic centers, dependent upon patient referral and case reports in the literature. The purpose of this study was to review and compare federal database adverse event reports of breast implant-associated ALCL encompassing the major breast implant markets worldwide. METHODS: Federal implantable device regulatory bodies were contacted and database queries were performed for 40 countries. Demographics, device characteristics, pathology, treatment modalities, and outcomes were assessed when available. RESULTS: For the countries queried, 363 unique cases were reported for breast implant-associated ALCL. Search terms "anaplastic" and "ALCL" were queried of the U.S. Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience (MAUDE) database and yielded 258 unique cases as of September 2015, of which only 130 had pathologic markers performed. Implant surface was textured significantly more than smooth (50 percent versus 4.2 percent; p = 0.0001). Treatment, when reported (n = 136), included explantation [n = 125 (91.9 percent)], chemotherapy [n = 42 (30.8 percent)], radiation therapy [n = 25 (18.4 percent)], and/or stem cell transplant [n = 9 (6.6 percent)], and five deaths were reported. CONCLUSIONS: Federal reporting of breast implant-associated ALCL has limitations in providing clinical history, treatment, and oncologic follow-up. Worldwide and country-specific total and textured implant sales data are needed to determine critical incidence and prevalence analysis. International multi-institutional collaborations and centralized tissue consortiums working in concert with federal authorities are necessary to acquire accurate complete data on breast implant-associated ALCL.

Early Decompression following Cervical Spinal Cord Injury: Examining the Process of Care from Accident Scene to Surgery.

Early decompression may improve neurological outcome after spinal cord injury (SCI), but is often difficult to achieve because of logistical issues. The aims of this study were to 1) determine the time to decompression in cases of isolated cervical SCI in Australia and New Zealand and 2) determine where substantial delays occur as patients move from the accident scene to surgery. Data were extracted from medical records of patients aged 15-70 years with C3-T1 traumatic SCI between 2010 and 2013. A total of 192 patients were included. The median time from accident scene to decompression was 21 h, with the fastest times associated with closed reduction (6 h). A significant decrease in the time to decompression occurred from 2010 (31 h) to 2013 (19 h, p = 0.008). Patients undergoing direct surgical hospital admission had a significantly lower time to decompression, compared with patients undergoing pre-surgical hospital admission (12 h vs. 26 h, p < 0.0001). Medical stabilization and radiological investigation appeared not to influence the timing of surgery. The time taken to organize the operating theater following surgical hospital admission was a further factor delaying decompression (12.5 h). There was a relationship between the timing of decompression and the proportion of patients demonstrating substantial recovery (2-3 American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale grades). In conclusion, the time of cervical spine decompression markedly improved over the study period. Neurological recovery appeared to be promoted by rapid decompression. Direct surgical hospital admission, rapid organization of theater, and where possible, use of closed reduction, are likely to be effective strategies to reduce the time to decompression.