Characteristics and Management of Spinal Tuberculosis in Tuberculosis Endemic Area of Guizhou Province: A Retrospective Study of 597 Patients in a Teaching Hospital.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) is an endemic disease in Guizhou. Spinal TB accounts for approximately 50% cases of skeletal TB. The purpose of this study was to investigate the characteristics and management of patients treated for spinal TB in a certain hospital and to provide guidance for the prevention and treatment of spinal TB. METHODS: The clinic records of all patients diagnosed with spinal tuberculosis in a teaching hospital between January 2010 and December 2018 were collected. The epidemiology, clinical characteristics, imaging and laboratory findings, treatment methods, and prognosis were recorded and analyzed. RESULTS: During this nine-year period, 597 patients with spinal TB were identified. There were 313 males and 284 females with an average age of 43 years. The largest number of patients fell in the age group of 21-30 years; mean time from symptom onset to diagnosis in the hospital was 17 months. Back pain was the main clinical manifestation (89.34%). The most common imaging technique was computed tomography (CT, 96.80%), followed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI, 84.01%). Majority of the lesions involved the lumbar spine (47.30%), followed by the thoracic spine (40.95%). 178 (29.82%) patients in this study had varying degrees of neurological impairment. 22.78% of the patients selected conservative treatment, and surgical treatment was performed in 483 patients (80.90%). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of spinal TB was generally on the rise throughout the study period. After diagnosed with spinal TB, all patients got appropriate treatment and achieved good efficacy, but most of the patients did not pay much attention to the disease and receive timely treatment. Thus, it is essential to strengthen the TB preventive strategies, improve the health awareness of residents and universal resident health examination.

A rare case of Gorham-stout syndrome involving the thoracic spine with progressive bilateral chylothorax: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Gorham-Stout syndrome (GSS) with spinal involvement is extremely rare, and bilateral chylothorax as a complication is usually fatal. In our case, pleural effusion appeared in the left hemithorax after ligating the right thoracic duct. CASE PRESENTATION: A 14-year-old patient presented with GSS affecting the thoracic spine with bilateral chylothorax. The case was successfully managed using combined conservative and surgical treatments. At the 2-year follow-up visit, the amount of pleural fluid was reduced, the patient's respiratory function had improved, and the deformity on the thoracic spine had gradually stabilized. CONCLUSIONS: GSS is a rare disorder of the musculoskeletal system that responds poorly to therapies and exhibits very high morbidity and mortality. Chylothorax is a common complication when lesions involve the thoracic spine, and physicians should be vigilant for possible serious pulmonary complications.

Using Three-Dimensional Printing to Create Individualized Cranial Nerve Models for Skull Base Tumor Surgery.

OBJECTIVE: Using three-dimensional (3D) printing to create individualized patient models of the skull base, the optic chiasm and facial nerve can be previsualized to help identify and protect these structures during tumor removal surgery. METHODS: Preoperative imaging data for 2 cases of sellar tumor and 1 case of acoustic neuroma were obtained. Based on these data, the cranial nerves were visualized using 3D T1-weighted turbo field echo sequence and diffusion tensor imaging-based fiber tracking. Mimics software was used to create 3D reconstructions of the skull base regions surrounding the tumors, and 3D solid models were printed for use in simulation of the basic surgical steps. RESULTS: The 3D printed personalized skull base tumor solid models contained information regarding the skull, brain tissue, blood vessels, cranial nerves, tumors, and other associated structures. The sphenoid sinus anatomy, saddle area, and cerebellopontine angle region could be visually displayed, and the spatial relationship between the tumor and the cranial nerves and important blood vessels was clearly defined. The models allowed for simulation of the operation, prediction of operative details, and verification of accuracy of cranial nerve reconstruction during the operation. Questionnaire assessment showed that neurosurgeons highly valued the accuracy and usefulness of these skull base tumor models. CONCLUSIONS: 3D printed models of skull base tumors and nearby cranial nerves, by allowing for the surgical procedure to be simulated beforehand, facilitate preoperative planning and help prevent cranial nerve injury.

[Application of micro-computed tomography-based 3D visualization in diagnosis and treatment of cervical cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To define the optimal development time of micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) venography in cervical cancer patients and establish 3D CT-based digital pelvic model of the patients. METHODS: Thirty patients with cervical cancer stratified by FIGO surgical staging underwent micro-CT scanning of the arterial phase and the venous phase with a delay time of 70, 90 and 120 s. The images were interpreted independently by two experienced radiologists to define the optimal development time in venous phase and establish the imaging diagnosis. Based on the pelvic CT scan data, we segmented the images using the abdominal medical image-3D visualization system followed by 3D image reconstruction to establish the 3D digital pelvic model using FreeForm Modeling System to modify the reconstructed images. RESULTS: The optimal images were obtained by scanning with a 90-sec delay time. Micro-CT was not sensitive to IB1 phase or earlier phases (1/5), but efficient in advanced stages (≥IB2 phase). In our cases, 25 were diagnosed by micro-CT with a diagnostic accuracy of 64%. Based on these CT data, the pelvic 3D model covering the main organs, vessels, cervical neoplasm, and supplying vessels of the tumor in the pelvic cavity were successfully reconstructed to allow spatial observations of the uterus and the neighboring organs. CONCLUSION: The 3D digital pelvic model reconstructed provides a means for staging cervical cancer and facilitates further surgical simulation studies.