Evaluation of functional outcome and neurological recovery pattern in patients with retro-thecal tubercular epidural abscess managed at a tertiary center.

We performed a retrospective observational study to analyze the neurological recovery pattern in patients with a sub-laminar retro-thecal epidural abscess managed at our tertiary apex center from 2014 to 2020. We evaluated the Maximal Spinal Cord Compression (MSCC) ratio on Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), the time interval between the appearance of neurological deficit and the initiation of management, spasticity as per Modified Ashworth Scale, presence of drug resistance, and the Lower Extremity Motor Score (LEMS). All patients were given anti-tubercular chemotherapy. We surgically managed 8 patients of which 6 required decompression alone, while 2 patients required additional instrumentation. 2 patients were managed conservatively of which 1 responded favorably to conservative treatment while the other patient showed a worsening of neurology following the detection of drug resistance and abrupt discontinuation of chemotherapy. The mean LEMS on admission was 20.2, which improved to 38.5 at the end of 1 year (p-value <0.05). The patients in whom the time interval between the onset of neurological deficit and the initiation of management was fewer than 6 weeks showed better LEMS and milder or absent spasticity at follow-up (p-value <0.05). The MSCC ratio did not have a significant correlation with the LEMS (p-value >0.05).

Pyogenic and Non-pyogenic Spinal Infections: Diagnosis and Treatment.

Spinal Infection (SI) is an infection of vertebral bodies, intervening disc, and/or adjoining para-spinal tissue. It represents less than 10% of all skeletal infections. There are numerous factors that predispose to developing a SI. Due to the low specificity of signs, delayed diagnosis is common. Hence, SI may be associated with poor outcomes. Diagnosis of SI must be supported by clinicopathological and radiological findings. MRI is a reliable modality of choice. Treatment options vary according to the site of the infection, disease progression, neurology, presence of instability, and general condition of the subject. Conservative treatment (orthosis/ bed-rest + antibiotics) is recommended during the early course with no/ lesser degree of neurological involvement and to medically unfit patients. Nevertheless, when conservative measures alone fail, surgical interventions must be considered. The use of concomitant antimicrobial drugs intravenously during initial duration followed by oral administration is a necessity. Controversies exist regarding the optimal duration of antimicrobial therapy, yet never given less than six weeks. Heterogeneity in clinical picture and associated co-morbidities with a range of treatment modalities are available; however, a common applicable guideline for SI does not exist. Managing SI must be tailored on a case-to-case basis.

A Rare Case of Sphingomonas paucimobilis Spondylodiscitis Managed Surgically.

INTRODUCTION: Sphingomonas paucimobilis is an opportunistic pathogen and a rare cause of human infection. This case report shows bacteremia with pyogenic spondylodiscitis in lumbosacral spine caused by Sphingomonas and discusses its clinical diagnosis, treatment, and literature reviews. CASE REPORT: Patient presented with severe low back pain, inability to walk and fever following a L5-S1 decompression elsewhere, which corresponded clinico-radiologically with a picture of a spondylodiscitis on radiographs, magnetic resonance imaging, and computed tomography. His blood culture was positive for S. paucimobilis. He was treated successfully by surgical debridement, stabilization, and fusion along with intravenous Linezolid followed by oral therapy, based on the antibiotic susceptibility profile. Repeat blood culture was negative after 7 weeks of antibiotic therapy. Patient improved symptomatically with radiographs showing good fusion at 1 year follow-up. S. paucimobilis, though a low virulence organism, is an emerging pathogen and should be dealt with cautiously. CONCLUSION: This reiterates the importance of culture as unusual organisms may be isolated and appropriate antibiotics form the mainstay of treatment.

Better late than never: Clinical outcomes of delayed fixation in thoracolumbar spinal trauma.

PURPOSE: To analyse factors influencing functional outcome and neurological recovery in patients undergoing delayed surgery for traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) involving thoracolumbar spine. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of 33 patients with thoracolumbar SCI who underwent delayed surgery (≥ 72hrs post-trauma) with a minimum follow-up of 1 year (average:32.55 months) was done. The parameters studied included age, sex, co-morbidities, mode of trauma, associated trauma, level and number of vertebrae involved, fracture morphology, thoracolumbar injury classification and severity score (TLICS), maximal spinal cord compression (MSCC), signal changes in the cord, neurological deficit as per the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) scale, lower extremity motor score (LEMS), bowel bladder involvement, time interval between trauma and surgery. RESULTS: Mean time interval from injury to spine surgery was 24.45 days. At the end of 1-year follow-up, 17(51.5%), 12(36.36%), and 3(9.1%) patients had ≥ 1, ≥ 2, and ≥ 3-grade ASIA improvement, respectively. The mean LEMS rose to 33.86 from 17.09 (P < 0.001). 8 out of 20 patients with bladder involvement showed improvement. 4 patients succumbed, 22 were ambulatory, and 7 remained non-ambulatory. On comparing various parameters, pre-operative LEMS score (P-value: < 0.001), cord signal changes (P-value:0.002), and presence of cord transection (P-value:0.007) differed significantly in the above-mentioned three groups, while age (P-value:0.442), average TLICS (P-value:0.872), time from injury to surgery (P-value:0.386) did not differ significantly. CONCLUSION: This study highlights that there is still a significant scope for neurological improvement even after delayed surgery in patients with thoracolumbar SCI. The lower the LEMS score at the time of presentation, signal changes in the cord and presence of cord transection have a significant influence on unfavourable clinical outcomes at the end of 1-year post-surgery.

It's Never Too Late: Neurological Outcome of Delayed Decompression in Tuberculosis of Spine.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective observational study. OBJECTIVE: To study the neurological recovery in patients with progressive neurological deficit undergoing delayed decompression and fixation in tuberculosis of spine. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of 50 cases with thoracolumbar tuberculosis of spine, undergoing posterior decompression and instrumentation was done. Parameters like time interval between appearance of neurological deficit to decompression surgery, maximal spinal cord compression, neurology on admission, presence of drug resistance, and number of vertebrae involved were evaluated. The subjects were divided into 2 groups depending on neurological improvement measured with LEMS (Lower Extremity Motor Score) at the end of 1-year follow-up. RESULTS: The mean LEMS score on admission was 27.72 (SD 12.88), which improved to 40.80 (SD 10.46) at the end of 1 year (P < .001). A total of 26 (52%) subjects were categorized into "Satisfactory" outcome (LEMS >10) group and remaining 24 subjects formed the "nonsatisfactory" outcome group. The median time interval between the appearance of neurological deficit and decompression surgery was 23.50 days in the satisfactory group and 29.50 days (P = .110) in the nonsatisfactory group. Maximal spinal cord compression was 0.370 in satisfactory group and 0.357 in nonsatisfactory group (P = .754). The mean preoperative LEMS score was 34.62 in the satisfactory outcome group while that in the nonsatisfactory outcome group was 20.25 (P < .001). CONCLUSION: There is significant scope for neurological improvement even after delayed decompression and fixation in cases of tuberculosis of spine with progressive neurological deficits. Preoperative neurological status was found to be the most significant determinant of postoperative neurological outcome.

Varicella-Zoster Radiculitis Mimicking Sciatica: A Diagnostic Dilemma.

Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) presenting as a radicular pain in the thoracic region is not uncommon, but the presentation in the lumbar and thigh region is not frequently seen. Characteristic segmental vesicular-bullous rash in a dermatomal distribution associated with pain and allodynia is a prominent feature. The pain appears before rash. It is not uncommon for clinicians to misdiagnose radicular pain caused by VZV due to prolapsed disc. We report two patients who presented to us with complaints of back pain with leg radiculopathy that were initially treated for discogenic radiculopathy and rash was wrongly attributed to hot fomentation. This case report emphasizes the importance of including varicella-zoster radiculitis in the differential diagnosis of radicular pain and clinical examination of every rash. Physical examination is must if the patient complains of rash. Appropriate and timely diagnosis can prevent unnecessary investigations.

Posterior Cervical Interbody Fusion - Single-Stage Approach of Anterior Reconstruction and Posterior Stabilization: A Case Report and Review of Literature.

The success and popularity of the transforaminal approach in the lumbar spine have been made possible by the routine use of pedicle screws in the lumbar spine. Transforaminal approach in the cervical spine can give access to the disc and the vertebral body anteriorly and avoid an additional anterior approach in certain clinical situations. A case of cervical spine trauma was managed by this approach. Technical details and difficulties faced were analyzed in this article. Transforaminal approach in the lower cervical spine, though has a learning curve, seems to be a feasible technique along with the use of cervical pedicle screws. The safety and reproducibility of the approach need to be substantiated with a larger study. Further, this procedure can avoid additional anterior surgery in certain situations in the cervical spine.

Dysplasia and anomalies of atlas result in pediatric torticollis: A case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Often, the cause of bony torticollis is difficult to determine, especially in cases of multiple craniovertebral junction anomalies. CASE DESCRIPTION: We report a rare case of a dysplastic C1 vertebra (assimilation to the right occiput and C2, a nonseparated left odontoid, and discontinuity in both anterior and posterior arches of the atlas) in a 6-year-old child with progressive torticollis. Notably, the mechanism of torticollis was not a rotatory subluxation of C1-C2, but differential growth between C1-C2. The child underwent a successful C1-C2 Goel and Harms fusion with reduction/correction of the torticollis. CONCLUSION: Torticollis caused by differential growth between the C1 and C2 vertebrae resulting in a nonrotatory subluxation/torticollis in a 6-year-old child, was successfully managed with a C1-C2 Goel and Harm's fusion.

Computed Tomography Scan-Based Morphometric Analysis of Lateral Masses of Atlas Vertebrae in Normal Indian Population.

STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional observational study involved the analysis of computed tomography (CT) scan data from 125 Indian subjects of 18 years or older with normal imaging findings. Scans were obtained from patients with head injuries as a part of the screening process along with brain CT scans. PURPOSE: To establish the dimensions of lateral masses of the atlas vertebrae in normal disease-free Indian individuals. OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: Lateral mass fixation has become the standard of care in fixation of the supra-axial cervical spine. Many studies have investigated the dimensions of lateral masses in cadaveric specimens; however, studies involving the radiological morphometric analysis of the lateral masses of the atlas vertebra in living patients are lacking. METHODS: Subjects underwent craniovertebral junction CT scans during evaluations of head injury. All had normal radiology reports. The CT scans were obtained using a CT Philips Brilliance 64 machine (Philips, Amsterdam, Netherlands) with a slice thickness of 1 mm and then analyzed using Horos software ver. 2.0.2 (Horos Project, Annapolis, MD, USA) on a MacBook. RESULTS: Lateral masses of the atlas vertebrae were found to be larger in males than females and larger on the right than the left side. The angle of permissible medialization was found to be larger on the right side. The analysis of the average dimensions indicated the conventionally described screw positions to be safe. CONCLUSIONS: The present study provides information that may help to establish standard dimensions of lateral masses of the atlas vertebrae among the normal Indian population. We demonstrate that there is no significant difference when compared with the Western population. The results presented here will be of use to clinicians as they may inform preoperative planning for lateral mass fixation surgeries.

X-ray and Computed Tomography Scan-Based Morphometric Analysis of Skull Baselines in Indian Population.

INTRODUCTION: The study aims at providing an overview of morphometric measurements of the skull baselines in normal Indian population and compares these dimensions with those of other races and ethnicities. This study will help in defining "normal" baseline values for Indian population. It will also compare dimensions as measured on X-ray and computed tomography (CT) scan to assess the reliability of X-ray as a diagnostic modality for the assessment of the skull baselines in Indian population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective study with a sample size of 116 patients and duration of 30 months. RESULTS: The mean value for distance between dens tip and Chamberlain line on CT was 0.498 mm and on X-ray was 0.528 mm and for the distance between dens tip and McGregor line on CT was 0.213 mm and on X-ray was 0.228 mm. The mean distance between the dens tip and McRae line was 4.67 1.69 mm on CT scan and 4.7 1.76 mm on X-ray. CONCLUSION: There was not a single patient in whom the dens tip crossed the McRae line. Any protrusion of the dens tip beyond the foramen magnum is abnormal. Hence, the McRae line is easiest to understand and remember. Furthermore, the Chamberlain and McGregor lines rely on identifying the hard palate, which may not be included in routine X-ray, CT, and magnetic resonance imaging studies depend on the field of view. Hence, we recommend the use of McRae line for screening purposes while evaluating pathologies of the craniovertebral junction. X-ray is a reliable diagnostic technique for assessing morphometry of the skull baselines in an emergency or rural setting if facility for CT scan is not available.