A one-session circumferential reconstruction in thoracic and lumbar spine fractures using a small expandable cage.

AIM: Circumferential reconstruction of thoracic and lumbar vertebrae is most frequently performed in two sessions. The authors assessed feasibility, safety and results of a surgical technique in which the use of a small cage allows a less invasive strategy. In addition, since the authors perform urgent decompression in specific cases of spinal cord injury, feasibility of this technique in emergency was verified. METHODS: In two Neurosurgical Departments, between May 2001 and May 2006, 62 patients with thoracic or lumbar fractures were operated on using this technique. X-rays were performed postoperatively and around 45 days from surgery. Three-dimension-computed tomography (3D-CT) scans were performed at 3, 6 and 12 months. Neurological evaluations were repeated at every outpatient visit. After screw insertion at the adjacent levels and traditional transpedicular circumferential decompression, further bone is removed to excavate a niche in the vertebral body and the contiguous discs are removed. The expandable cage, filled with bone fragments, is inserted horizontal or oblique laterally to the sac and applied vertical inside that niche and then expanded. The circumferential stabilization is completed with bone grafting and posterior instrumentation. RESULTS: 3D-CT scans showed sound fusion and no manifest correction loss. Nineteen patients improved at least one grade in the ASIA scale and 11 gained neuromeric levels. CONCLUSION: This technique, fairly undemanding and feasible also in emergency, proved to be safe and resistant. Two-year follow-up demonstrated thriving fusion and steady alignment. It is a valuable surgical therapy to selected cases of burst fracture.

Intramedullary melanotic schwannoma of the conus medullaris: a case report.

STUDY DESIGN: A case of a very rare type of schwannoma is reported. It is the sixth reported case of intramedullary melanotic schwannoma and the only one localized in the conus. METHODS: A 56-year-old woman was treated in this department for a C5-C6 spondylodiscitis. After 6 months her arms showed a rapid recovery, but her incomplete flaccid paraplegia remained stable. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with gadolinium enhancement of the lumbar tract revealed an intramedullary lesion at the level of Th12-L1. During surgery, an intramedullary, poorly vascularized, dark gray lesion was detected and was totally removed. One year after surgery, no recurrence was encountered and the patient showed significant improvement. CONCLUSION: It had previously been hypothesized that intramedullary melanotic schwannomas originate from the rostral components of the neural tube. This case presented a different localization with respect to the previously described cases, all localized in the cervical or high thoracic tracts, and thus uncertainties are raised about the previous hypotheses. Nevertheless, it is agreed that total surgical removal is the best treatment.

Assessment of three year experience of a strategy for patient selection and timing of operation in the management of acute thoracic and lumbar spine fractures: a prospective study.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this article is to report experience gained over three years of the use of a protocol for patient selection and timing of operation for acute thoracic and lumbar fractures. METHOD: At admission, all patients underwent neurological and imaging exams. All patients with a spinal cord lesion scored as ASIA A at any level inferior to T10 and as ASIA B, C or D at any level, were categorized as emergency and operated on within eight hours from trauma. ASIA A cases in the T1-T10 tract and ASIA E cases at any level were treated in the ordinary operative work schedule. FINDINGS: Ninety-four patients with surgically treated lumbar or thoracic fractures took part in this study. On the imaging studies, 12 patients were classified as A, 50 as B and 32 as C following the AO classification. At the neurological exam, 39 patients were scored as ASIA A, nine as B, six as C, two as D and 38 as E. At follow-up, of the 39 patients scored as ASIA A, 13 (33%) improved at least one grade and of the 17 scored as ASIA B, C or D, 11 (64.7%) improved. None of the 38 patients scored as ASIA E deteriorated. CONCLUSIONS: The findings show that the strategy in the protocol was safe and followed by satisfactory rates of neurological outcome. Larger prospective studies, preferably randomized, are needed to establish definitively its place in the management of patients with spinal injury.

Evaluation of donor site pain after anterior iliac crest harvesting for cervical fusion: a prospective study on 50 patients.

BACKGROUND: Autologous anterior iliac crest bone graft is still widely considered the gold standard for anterior cervical fusion after discectomy or corporectomy. Postoperative pain at the donor site is one of the main disadvantages to this technique. This prospective study aimed to evaluate pain at the donor site, after careful, standardised bone harvesting. METHODS: From March 2003 to March 2004, a prospective study was performed in a single neurosurgical department on 50 patients who underwent anterior iliac crest bone harvesting using a standard and careful surgical technique. During a one year follow-up, patient donor site pain was assessed with a Visual Analogous Scale (VAS) at 2, 7 and 60 days from surgery and finally, by a telephone interview, at one year. FINDINGS: The duration of time in hospital ranged from 4 to 9 days. On the 2(nd) day after surgery, pain, according to the VAS score, was recorded as being >7 by 4 patients (8%), 5-7/10 by 27 patients and >5/10 in 19 cases. On the 7(th) day after surgery, none of the patients reported any VAS > 7, 1 patient's VAS score was 6/10 and 49 patients had a VAS < 5. At 2 month follow-up, 45 patients were completely without pain (VAS 0) and the remaining 5 had a VAS < 5. At one year, 46 patients reported no pain (one patient was lost to follow-up); three continued to have pain <5 in VAS scale. CONCLUSIONS: After harvesting of bone from the iliac crest, using a standardised approach based on anatomised principles, most patients do not experience persisting pain at the donor site.

Thoracic extradural paragangliomas: a case report and review of the literature.

STUDY DESIGN: Case report. OBJECTIVES: To report on a case of paraganglioma presenting in an uncommon extradural thoracic localization. SETTING: Department of Neurosurgery, Florence, Italy. CASE REPORT: A 43-year-old woman with a thoracic lesion extending into the extradural space along four levels, T(1)-T(4), presented with sudden spastic incomplete paraplegia and paresthesia at the lower limbs. RESULTS: The neoplasm was surgically resected 'en bloc' and histological findings corresponded to paraganglioma. One year after surgery, the patient was walking without assistance, a T(3)-T(4) hypoesthesia was still present and an magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study showed no signs of focal recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: The imaging features of thoracic paragangliomas may be misleading and an advanced malignant lesion could be primarily suspected; thus, a histological study is always needed. Total resection is the gold standard therapy. Owing to the risk of recurrence or multicentric growth, follow-up must be prolonged and accurate.

Cranial bone flap fixation with microplates and screws: a new application technique. Technical note.

A new technique of microplates/screws application for bone flap refixation is described. The microplates are fitted into a shaped bone groove in such a way that the hardware is flush with the edges of the groove thus avoiding definite palpable scalp prominence of the skin under hairless portions of the scalp.

Misleading imaging features of intracranial dural plasmacytoma: report of two cases.

Dural plasmacytomas are very rare and often disregarded in the differential diagnosis of more common lesions of the convexity. We report two cases. Both patients exhibited headache as a main symptom. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance showed a homogeneously enhanced lesion without calcification and without bone involvement.

Radiation leukoencephalopathy associated with moderate hydrocephalus: intracranial pressure monitoring and results of ventriculoperitoneal shunting.

Delayed neurological sequelae of radiotherapy have several manifestations; leukoencephalopathy is one of the most common. Pathogenetic relationships between radiation leukoencephalopathy and other findings of diffuse radiation injury (brain atrophy and progressive ventriculomegaly) are not well defined. Moreover, no guidelines have been established for the treatment of hydrocephalus when associated with radiation leukoencephalopathy. Our study reports intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring in two patients with radiation leukoencephalopathy with moderate hydrocephalus. High intraventricular mean pressure and high peaks were found, and marked improvement of clinical status after shunting was achieved. This study, although restricted to only two patients, shows that ventriculoperitoneal shunting insertion is useful in radiation-induced hydrocephalus, when ICP monitoring detects high mean pressure. A hypothesis is advanced concerning radiation-induced hydrocephalus with high ICP, emphasizing periventricular astrocytosis and its connections with cerebral compliance.