Cervical Pott's disease: case report and review of the literature.

Tuberculosis is a major public health problem in the world. Spinal tuberculosis (Pott disease) is a frequently encountered extrapulmonary form of the disease. Cervical spinal tuberculosis is relatively rare. We report the case of a 66-year-old patient admitted for cervical Pott's disease managed surgically and the positive outcome. A patient with a history of pulmonary tuberculosis present 3 months ago persistent neck pain with tingling and heaviness in both upper limbs. The neurological examination was normal without any sensory or motor deficit. Spinal cord magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a lesion centered on the vertebral body of C4 with spinal cord compression and epiduritis without signs of spinal cord injury. The patient underwent a corpectomy of C3 and C4 with an iliac graft and anterior cervical plate. The anatomopathological examination revealed a Pott disease. He was therefore put on antituberculous chemotherapy for 12 months. Three months later the neck pain and tingling disappeared in the upper limbs. Cervical Pott's disease is relatively rare. Surgical management is indicated in the case of spinal instability or spinal cord compression.

Surgical management of a thoracic chordoma: A case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Chordomas are rare benign, but locally aggressive tumors that are regularly encountered in the clivus and sacrum. Although they are rarely found in the thoracic spine, they can contribute not only to local bone destruction and spinal instability, lead to cord compression, and major neurological deficits. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 56 year-old-male originally underwent a T12 laminectomy with debulking for a thoracic chordoma. Two years later, the lesion recurred contributing to a significant paraparesis. The new MR showed a T2 hyper intense lesion with huge epidural extension that warranted a 360° surgical decompression and fusion. The histopathology from both surgeries confirmed the diagnosis of a chordoma. CONCLUSION: Combined 360° decompression and fusion was warranted to resect a T12 chordoma that recurred 2 years following an original laminectomy with debulking procedure.

Thoracic abscess due to unusual migration of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Thoracic complications of ventriculoperitoneal (VP) cerebrospinal fluid shunting are rare and the diagnosis is difficult without neurological impairment. CASE DESCRIPTION: We report a case of a 36-year-old woman who had a VP shunt in the right side when she was 13 years for a posterior fossa ependymoma and hydrocephalus. 23 years after surgery, she developed acute yellowfish cough and sputum, and the computed tomography scan found an intrathoracic cyst. She had a thoracotomy for the cyst and during surgery, we found the peritoneal catheter of the VP shunt, with a collected abscess in the left side. The patient was treated for the abscess and the VP shunt was removed. We also review the literature cases of thoracic complications after VP shunts. CONCLUSION: Thoracic abscess due to VP shunt migration is extremely rare and could happen after a long time delay VP shunt surgery.

Percutaneous vertebroplasty in Moroccan patients with vertebral compression fractures.

Incidence of vertebral compression fractures (VCFs) is increasing due to the increase in human life expectancy and prevalence of osteoporosis. Percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) has become a widely used alternative treatment for symptomatic VCFs refractory to medical therapy. It is a minimally invasive technique involving injection most frequently of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) directly into the vertebral body through the pedicles. Percutaneous vertebroplasty yields good results in terms of early vertebral stabilization and prompt pain relief. This study describes the experience of the Department of Neurosurgery at Ibn Sina University Hospital (Rabat, Morocco) and assesses short and long term clinical and radiological outcomes and complications of vertebroplasty in a retrospective assessment of 36 vertebral compression fractures in 35 patients (16 men and 19 women subjects) who had been treated with vertebroplasty from November 2006 to December 2014.

A sacral hydatid cyst mimicking an anterior sacral meningocele.

Hydatid disease is a zoonosis caused by Echinococcus granulosus. It is a progressive disease with serious morbidity risks. Sacral hydatid disease is very uncommon, accounting for < 11% of spinal hydatidosis cases. The diagnosis of a sacral hydatid cyst is sometimes difficult because hydatidosis can simulate other cystic pathologies. The authors report on 9-year-old boy admitted to their service with a paraparesis that allowed walking without aid. The boy presented with a 2-year history of an evolving incomplete cauda equina syndrome as well as a soft cystic mass in the abdomen extending from the pelvis. Radiological examination revealed an anterior meningocele. A posterior approach with laminectomy from L-5 to S-3 was performed. Three lesions with classic features of a hydatid cyst were observed and removed. The diagnosis of hydatid cyst was confirmed histopathologically. Antihelmintic treatment with albendazole (15 mg/kg/day) was included in the postoperative treatment. The patient's condition improved after surgery, and he recovered normal mobility. The unusual site and presentation of hydatid disease in this patient clearly supports the consideration of spinal hydatid disease in the differential diagnosis for any mass in the body, especially in endemic areas.