[Distal ventriculoperitoneal shunt catheter migration into the pulmonary artery: a rare complication].

Ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement is a common treatment for hydrocephalus, although not devoid of complications. We report a case of a 60-year-old male who underwent ventriculoperitoneal shunt implantation for the treatment of post-traumatic hydrocephalus. Thirteen months post- surgery, after an initial clinical improvement, the patient manifested gait and cognitive disorders. Chest X-rays and computed tomography revealed that the distal shunt catheter had migrated into the pulmonary artery. The catheter was removed by reopening the previous retroauricular incision followed by manual traction, without incidents. A new peritoneal catheter was implanted with immediate clinical improvement and no further complications two years after the second surgery. We communicate a rare complication of a standard neurosurgical procedure that can be detected by different healthcare professionals, and review its various forms of presentation and multidisciplinary management strategies from 19 similar clinical cases found in the literature.

Migración de catéter de derivación ventrículo-peritoneal distal a arteria pulmonar: una complicación poco común / Distal ventriculoperitoneal shunt catheter migration into the pulmonary artery: a rare complication

La derivación ventrículoperitoneal es un procedimiento quirúrgico habitual para eliminar el exceso de líquido cefalorraquídeo (hidrocefalia), asociado a distintas complicaciones. Se presenta el caso de un varón de 60 años con hidrocefalia postraumática al que se le implantó una derivación ventrículoperitoneal. Tras la mejoría clínica inicial, trece meses después desarrolló empeoramiento de la marcha y problemas cognitivos. Las radiografías y tomografía computarizada de tórax mostraron que el catéter distal de la derivación había migrado a la arteria pulmonar. Se extrajo quirúrgicamente el catéter mediante reapertura de la incisión retroauricular previa y tracción manual, sin incidencias. Se implantó un nuevo catéter peritoneal con mejoría clínica inmediata. Dos años después, el paciente permanece asintomático. Este caso ilustra una complicación infrecuente de un procedimiento neuroquirúrgico habitual que puede ser detectada por diferentes profesionales sanitarios; revisamos sus diferentes formas de presentación y estrategias de manejo multidisciplinar a partir de diecinueve casos similares publicados.(AU)

Ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement is a common treatment for hydrocephalus, although not devoid of complications. We report a case of a 60-year-old male who underwent ventriculoperitoneal shunt implantation for the treatment of posttraumatic hydrocephalus. Thirteen months post surgery, after an initial clinical improvement, the patient manifested gait and cognitive disorders. Chest X-rays and computed tomography revealed that the distal shunt catheter had migrated into the pulmonary artery. The catheter was removed by reopening the previous retroauricular incision followed by manual traction, without incidents. A new peritoneal catheter was implanted with immediate clinical improvement and no further complications two years after the second surgery. We communicate a rare complication of a standard neurosurgical procedure that can be detected by different healthcare professionals, and review its various forms of presentation and multidisciplinary management strategies from 19 similar clinical cases found in the literature.(AU)

Síndrome de Cola de Caballo asociado a tratamiento quiropráctico: Reporte de 3 casos y revisión de la literatura / Horsetail syndrome associated with chiropractic treatment: Report of 3 cases and review of the literature

El síndrome de cola de caballo (SCC) es una urgencia quirúrgica poco frecuente con una incidencia estimada de hasta 1,8 casos por millón de habitantes, producida por la compresión de las raíces nerviosas en el extremo inferior del canal espinal. La manipulación espinal puede desempeñar un papel etiogénico, provocando la movilización y extrusión del disco. El diagnóstico temprano y el tratamiento oportuno son cruciales, ya que el pronóstico suele ser desfavorable si el tratamiento quirúrgico se retrasa produciendo un daño neurológico permanente. El objetivo de este trabajo es identificar los potenciales factores de riesgo para la manipulación espinal y optimizar esta práctica, evitando así posibles complicaciones derivadas del tratamiento quiropráctico. Presentamos 3 casos de SCC, observados y tratados en nuestro centro, en los que se sugiere una estrecha relación entre la manipulación espinal quiropráctica y la aparición de dicho síndrome. Tras realizarles una RM en la que se observó una hernia discal L5-S1 causante del SCC, los 3 pacientes fueron tratados quirúrgicamente de forma urgente. Los casos presentados demostraron la existencia de una asociación patogénica entre la manipulación espinal y el desarrollo del SCC, al producirse dicho síndrome en las horas siguientes a la manipulación debida a la protusión abrupta de un disco demostrado por RM.

Introduction: Cauda equine syndrome (CES) is a rare surgical emergency with an estimated incidence of up to 1.8 cases per million. It is caused by compression of the nerve roots at the lowest point of the spinal canal. Spinal manipulation can play a pathogenic role, resulting in mobilization and extrusion of the disc. Early diagnosis and timely treatment are crucial, since the prognosis is usually unfavorable and permanent neurological damage likely if surgical treatment is delayed. Objective: The aim of this study was to identify potential risk factors associated with spinal manipulation and, thereby, optimize this practice to reduce the risk of complications from chiropractic treatment. Methods: We present three cases of CES, observed and treated at our center, in which a close relationship between chiropractic spinal manipulation and the appearance of CES was apparent. Results: After magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed an L5-S1 herniated disc causing the SCC, all three patients underwent urgent surgical treatment. Conclusion: The three presented cases demonstrate a strong pathogenic relationship between spinal manipulation and the development of CES, when this syndrome occurs within hours of spinal manipulation, secondary to MRI-documented acute disc protrusion.

[Actinomycotic brain abscess in immunocompetent patient]. / Absceso cerebral actinomicótico en paciente inmunocompetente.

BACKGROUND: The actinomyces is germ commonly found in the normal flora of the oral cavity and gastro-intestinal and uro-genital tracts. Involvement in other locations is a very uncommon event. OBJECTIVES: To describe a patient with an actinomicotyc brain abscess CLINICAL CASE: We report the case of a patient who suffered a seizure and decreased level of consciousness. Imaging tests revealed the presence of lesions both in the lung and in the brain. An urgent craniotomy was performed and the diagnosis of actinomicotyc abscess was obtained. CONCLUSION: We describe the differential characteristics of this type of infection, discussing the diagnostic process and management in detail.

Prognostic factors and survival in a prospective cohort of patients with high-grade glioma treated with carmustine wafers or temozolomide on an intention-to-treat basis.

BACKGROUND: Patients with high-grade glioma can be treated with carmustine wafers or following the Stupp protocol. As far as we are aware, no scientific evidence has been published comparing the two treatments. The primary objective of this study was to analyse the survival of groups of patients with each of these treatment modalities. The secondary objective was to assess the influence of the usual prognostic factors on the patients in our hospital. METHODS: A prospective cohort of 110 patients with single, supratentorial high-grade glioma treated by craniotomy and tumour resection was retrospectively studied. Half of the patients had carmustine wafers placed during this operation while the others (55) did not, the latter group receiving first-line systemic chemotherapy on an intention-to-treat basis. FINDINGS: Patients treated with carmustine wafers had a median survival of 13.414 months compared with 11.047 in the group without implants (p = 0.856). For the overall cohort of patients, the following factors were found to influence survival: age (p < 0.0001), postoperative KPS score (p = 0.001), histological grade (p = 0.004), RPA class (p = 0.001), extent of resection (p = 0.002) and salvage surgery (p = 0.028). CONCLUSIONS: In this prospective cohort of patients, analysed on the basis of intention-to-treat at the time of the first surgery, no statistically significant differences in survival were found between the two treatment modalities (carmustine wafers vs. first-line systemic chemotherapy). On the other hand, age, preoperative KPS, histological grade, and RPA class were confirmed to be prognostic factors in this cohort. Finally, the extent of resection was also found to influence survival.