Incidence of pulmonary cement embolism after real-time CT fluoroscopy-guided vertebroplasty.

PURPOSE: To prospectively evaluate the incidence of pulmonary cement embolism (PCE) after vertebroplasty in procedures performed under real-time computed tomographic (CT) fluoroscopy guidance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 85 vertebroplasties were performed in 51 consecutive patients (31 women, 20 men; mean age, 71.9 y; range, 48-92 y) in 51 sessions. The needle was inserted with guidance from intermittent single-shot CT scans, and intermittent CT fluoroscopy was used during cement injection only. To reduce the risk of extravertebral or extraosseous leakage, several procedures (cement injection stopping/slowing, needle position changes) were employed. The chest and treated bone were scanned immediately after vertebroplasty. These CT images included the entire thorax as well as the treated vertebrae. RESULTS: No cement emboli were observed on CT after vertebroplasty. After 85 vertebroplasty procedures, 44 extravertebral leaks were detected. Epidural leaks were observed on CT in six treated vertebrae (7%), in 12 cases in the anterior external venous plexus (14.1%), in five in the azygos vein (5.8%), in 19 in the disc space (22%), and in two in the foraminal space (2.3%). On a per-patient basis, the odds of leaks increased with the number of vertebroplasties (P = .05) and the volume of cement used (P = .0412). There was also a higher probability of leak (P < .05) for osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (67.9%; 95% confidence interval, 47.7%-84.1%) than osteolytic spinal metastases (34.8%; 16.4%-57.3%). CONCLUSIONS: PCE did not occur after vertebroplasty under CT fluoroscopy guidance. Further larger prospective vertebroplasty studies are needed to compare the rates of PCE for CT versus conventional fluoroscopic guidance.

Early Postoperative Imaging of the Labyrinth by Cone Beam CT After Stapes Surgery for Otosclerosis With Correlation to Audiovestibular Outcome.

BACKGROUND: Sensorineural complications of stapes surgery are rare but potentially serious. Imaging is usually performed to identify an underlying cause, such as excessive intravestibular penetration of the prosthesis or pneumolabyrinth suggesting perilymphatic fistula. Unfortunately, there is very little data in an unselected series of uneventful patients.The aim of this study was to analyze the depth of prosthesis penetration within the vestibule and the rate of pneumolabyrinth the day or the day after the procedure by performing a cone beam computed tomography of the temporal bone in a cohort of unselected patients, and to correlate imaging findings to clinical outcome. METHODS: A prospective monocentric study was conducted in a tertiary referral medical center. A cone beam computed tomography was performed in 80 consecutive patients having undergone stapes surgery for otosclerosis, the day or the day after the procedure. Penetration length and location of the prosthesis within the vestibule, as well as presence or absence of a pneumolabyrinth, were recorded, and compared with clinical data (vertigo, nystagmus, hearing measurement). RESULTS: Pneumolabyrinth was found in 15% of the patients. The mean penetration length of the prosthesis within the vestibule was 1 mm (0-1.9 mm). No serious complication occurred during the study period. No correlations were found when comparing imaging findings to clinical outcome. CONCLUSION: Our results do not support empirically insights into detrimental effects of postoperative pneumolabyrinth or too long prosthesis after stapes surgery. Further studies are needed to better understand the causes of postoperative complications of stapes surgery.

Ethmoid sinus osteoma: diagnosis and management.

BACKGROUND: Ethmoid sinus osteomas are uncommon, benign, osteogenic tumors. The purpose of this retrospective study was to describe their usual clinical presentation and to discuss their surgical management. METHODS: The medical records of 25 patients treated for ethmoid osteoma between March 2001 and December 2010 were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: The average tumor size was 18.5 ± 14 mm. Only 3 patients were asymptomatic, 14 had a history of frontal sinusitis (complicated with orbital cellulitis in 4 cases), and 4 patients presented with diplopia. An endoscopic approach was performed in 19 cases, a coronal approach in 4 cases, and a combined approach (endoscopic + coronal) in 2 cases. No recurrence was reported. CONCLUSION: Ethmoid sinus osteoma can be asymptomatic and detected incidentally on CT scans, but often causes frontal sinusitis and orbital complications. The endoscopic approach offers the possibility of safe removal with cosmetic advantages compared to coronal approach.

Relevance of 5 different imaging signs in the evaluation of carotid artery invasion by cervical lymphadenopathy in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this retrospective study was to determine the relevance of 5 different imaging signs in the evaluation of carotid artery invasion. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Between September 2001 and September 2008, 22 patients (20 men and 2 women) presented with lymph node metastasis of a head and neck squamous cell carcinoma that invaded the carotid artery. The patients received either carotid artery dissection (CAD, group 1 [n = 17]) or carotid resection (group 2 [n = 5]). Preoperative images using CT (n = 18) and/or MRI (n = 14) were analyzed. RESULTS: In 1 of 17 cases in group 1 and in 5 of 5 cases in group 2, encasement of more than 180 degrees of the artery was present (P < .05). Segmental obliteration of the fat between the lymph node and the carotid artery was noted in 7 of 17 cases in group 1 and for all cases in group 2 (P < .05). Deformation of the carotid artery was reported in no cases in group 1 and in all cases in group 2 (P < .05). CONCLUSION: The combination of deformation of the carotid artery, encasement of more than 180 degrees of the carotid perimeter, and segmental obliteration of the fat between the adenopathy and the carotid artery was highly predictive of massive invasion of the carotid artery, which would require a resection en bloc. In comparison, the isolated existence of encasement of more than 180 degrees or segmental obliteration of fat could not strictly indicate massive invasion of the carotid artery; thus, CAD could be planned.

Carotid artery resection and reconstruction with superficial femoral artery transplantation: a case report.

INTRODUCTION: Managing advanced head and neck cancer is often a difficult task, particularly when massive invasion of the carotid artery is present. However, en bloc resection can be a curative procedure, and reconstruction of the carotid artery limits the risk for stroke. The aim of this study was to describe the interest, indication, potential risks, and methods by which we carried out resections as well as reconstructions of the carotid artery using superficial femoral artery transplantation. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We presented one case of en bloc resection of the carotid artery with reconstruction with superficial femoral artery transplantation. RESULTS: Postoperative care was uneventful. The patient did not suffer from neurological deficiency. After three years of follow-up, the patient survived without any cancer recurrence. CONCLUSION: The occurrence of massive cancer invasion into the carotid artery should not be a contraindication for surgery. En bloc resection of the carotid artery with revascularization using the superficial femoral artery allows for appropriate control of the cancer, and carries an acceptable level of neurological risk.

Comparison of LigaSure vessel sealing system, harmonic scalpel, and conventional hemostasis in total thyroidectomy.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to compare the efficiency, safety, and cost of the different methods of hemostasis (conventional hemostasis versus LigaSure vessel sealing system [LVSS] versus harmonic scalpel) currently available for thyroid surgery. STUDY DESIGN: Randomized, controlled trial. SETTING: The study was conducted from September 2007 to December 2008 in a university hospital. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Sixty patients (48 females and 12 males) underwent a total thyroidectomy for multinodular goiter. They were randomly assigned into three groups: group one (n = 20), conventional hemostasis; group two (n = 20), LigaSure; and group three (n = 20), harmonic scalpel. RESULTS: For group three, the mean operative time was 37 minutes shorter than group one (P < 0.001) and eight minutes shorter than group two (P = 0.04). The complications rate was similar among the three groups. The mean postoperative paracetamol consummation in group one was 1.4 g greater than in group two (P = 0.016) and 1.3 g greater than in group three (P = 0.02). The overall average operative cost was 11 and 85 dollars cheaper for groups two and three than for group one, respectively (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Total thyroidectomy using the harmonic scalpel was the fastest procedure because it was bloodless, and hemostasis and sectioning were controlled with a single instrument; it was, therefore, the most inexpensive procedure because of the reduction of operative time and staff cost. The operative safety was similar for all three procedures. In our series, the harmonic scalpel and the LVSS caused less pain than the conventional hemostasis.