Chronic humeral osteomyelitis in an adult with sickle-cell disease.

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: The rising incidence of sickle-cell disease in European countries has led to an increase in associated complications. Osteomyelitis, a rare complication in non-traumatic adult cases, poses diagnostic challenges and presents treatment difficulties due to limited cases and studies. CASE PRESENTATION: A 23-year-old woman diagnosed with sickle-cell disease presented with a six-day fever and painful swelling in the left upper extremity persisting for a fortnight. She had no history of trauma but had experienced a previous episode of bacteremia due to Salmonella, four years prior. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed an intramedullary bone injury with cortical rupture extending into soft tissues, forming a collection that raised clinical suspicion of osteomyelitis, despite negative blood and aspirate cultures. Empiric antibiotic therapy was initiated, followed by surgical debridement of infected tissues. The resulting dead space was filled with antibiotic-coated calcium phosphate beads and tissue grafting. Anatomopathological studies confirmed findings consistent with chronic osteomyelitis. Stabilization of the arm was achieved with an orthopedic brace, and antibiotic administration continued for 6 weeks post-surgery. The injury consolidated 4 months after treatment, and nearly two years later she has not suffered a recurrence. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: The scarcity of literature implies the absence of clinical guidelines for treating osteomyelitis in these patients. Empirical antibiotic therapy combined with surgery when there are abscesses that need debridement can be an effective approach. CONCLUSION: Humeral osteomyelitis in sickle-cell disease patients can be effectively managed using a pharmaco-surgical strategy, but it should be tailored to the patient's needs.

Low Correlation between Gait and Quality of Life in Advanced Knee Osteoarthritis.

Advanced knee osteoarthritis patients' gait usually undergoes alterations leading to decreased mobility and lower functional performance, which can result in a worsening of their quality of life (QoL). While several authors have reported a moderate correlation between gait parameters and QoL assessed by generic questionnaires, the literature is scarce. This study aimed to explore the relationship between gait and QoL parameters assessed by a generic and a disease-specific questionnaire in patients with advanced knee osteoarthritis. In this single-centre, prospective, observational study, 129 patients with advanced knee osteoarthritis scheduled for elective total knee replacement were selected. The patients' gait was evaluated by means of a validated wireless device while they walked 30 m at a comfortable speed. Patient function was also analysed using the Knee Society Score (KSS). QoL was measured with the EQ-5D and the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) questionnaires. Patients showed a mean walking speed of 0.95 ± 0.19 m/s, a mean cadence of 105.6 ± 9.9 steps/min, and a mean stride length of 1.25 ± 0.17 m on both legs. They presented poor knee status (KSS < 60) and poor QoL, with an EQ-5D of 0.44 ± 0.24 and a total KOOS of 29.77 ± 13.99. Positive low correlations (r <0.5, p <0.5) were found only between the speed, propulsion and stride length of both legs, and the overall and ADLs subscale scores of the total KOOS questionnaire. In conclusion, several gait parameters have a significant low correlation with the QoL of patients with advanced knee osteoarthritis, as assessed by an osteoarthritis-specific questionnaire.

Home-Based Intravenous Analgesia With an Elastomeric Pump After Medial Patellofemoral Ligament Repair: A Case Series.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to show our experience using elastomeric pumps for postoperative pain relief after outpatient medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) reconstruction. DESIGN: Prospective case series. METHODS: Patients (N = 78) with recurrent patella dislocation who underwent MPFL repair using an autogenous semitendinosus tendon graft were included. After discharge, pain was controlled using intravenous analgesia infused by an elastomeric pump for 48 hours. Outcomes regarding pain, complications, overall satisfaction, and knee functionality were assessed. FINDINGS: Early postoperative pain was mild in 53.8% of patients, and 30.8% patients had no pain at all. Twenty-four hours after surgery, 38.5% patients presented no pain, which increased to 53.8% at 72 hours. Nausea was experienced by 2.6% patients as was vomiting (7.7%) and drowsiness (2.6%). The mean score for patient satisfaction regarding the treatment was 90.2 (60.0-100.0). Moreover, postoperative knee functionality 12 months after the procedure proved to be statistically significantly superior (P <0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Postoperative analgesia using an intravenous elastomeric pump allows performance of MPFL reconstruction as an outpatient procedure with satisfactory pain control, complication rates and patient satisfaction.

Treatment of osteochondritis dissecans of the patella in adolescents with nanofractured autologous matrix-induced chondrogenesis (NAMIC): A report of five cases.

PURPOSE: Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) of the patella is a very rare affliction. The aim of this case series is to evaluate the effectiveness of the Nanofractured Autologous Matrix-Induced Chondrogenesis (NAMIC) technique for the treatment of OCD in young adults. METHODS: Five consecutive patients with patellar osteochondral lesions treated with NAMIC were prospectively studied. There were 4 males and 1 female with a mean age of 15.2 years, ranging from 12 to 18 years. Clinically, they presented pain when going up and down stairs or squatting, effusion, swelling and functional limitation. The International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS) grade was III in 4 patients and IV in 1 patient. Patients were functionally evaluated with the Lysholm knee score, the Tegner Activity Score (TAS) and the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) and radiologically using the Magnetic resonance Observation of Cartilage Repair Tissue (MOCART) score. RESULTS: All the scores significantly improved two years after surgery with respect to pre-operative values (Lysholm score from 63.8 ± 3.9 before surgery to 91 ± 3.2 at 2 years; Tegner activity score from 3.6 ± 0.5 to 8.2 ± 0.8 and the KOOS score from 45.2 ± 2.6 to 91.2 ± 2.4). Both the X-rays and the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) showed good joint regularity with an average MOCART of 80 ± 7.1/100. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment of juvenile patellar osteochondritis dissecans with the NAMIC technique seems to be a reliable technique in the short term to restore the patella joint surface and obtain good functional results.

All-Arthroscopic Nanofractured Autologous Matrix-Induced Chondrogenesis (A-NAMIC) Technique for the Treatment of Focal Chondral Lesions of the Knee.

Nanofractured autologous matrix-induced chondrogenesis (NAMIC©) is a 1-step technique that combines nanofracture needling to induce bone marrow stimulation (BMS) and the use of cell-free collagen matrix to optimize cartilage regeneration. In this Technical Note, we describe a modification of the NAMIC procedure using mosaicplasty trephines to prepare the lesion surface and to shape collagen implants in an all-arthroscopic approach (A-NAMIC). This technique is indicated for the treatment of International Cartilage Repair Society grade III to IV knee chondral lesions of ≤4 cm2. After damaged cartilage is debrided, trephines are used to create a flat, circular lesion surfaces. Subsequently, BMS is performed with nanofracture, eliciting reproducible and stop-controlled subchondral bone perforations of 9-mm depth and 1-mm width. The collagen membrane is then cut to size with the trephine, placed over the prepared defect, and secured with fibrin glue, preventing loss of regenerating cells and growth factors to the joint space. Using trephines allows the rapid and precise creation of smooth defect surfaces with known dimensions, ensuring optimal lesion coverage. Additionally, nanofracture reduces trabecular compaction and allows for a deeper access to subchondral bone in comparison with conventional microfracture, improving lesion filling and production of cartilage with higher hyaline content.

Embolization of large spontaneous portosystemic shunts for refractory hepatic encephalopathy: a multicenter survey on safety and efficacy.

UNLABELLED: Refractory hepatic encephalopathy (HE) remains a major cause of morbidity in cirrhosis patients. Large spontaneous portosystemic shunts (SPSSs) have been previously suggested to sustain HE in these patients. We aimed to retrospectively assess the efficacy and safety of patients treated with embolization of large SPSSs for the treatment of chronic therapy-refractory HE in a European multicentric working group and to identify patients who may benefit from this procedure. Between July 1998 and January 2012, 37 patients (Child A6-C13, MELD [Model of Endstage Liver Disease] 5-28) with refractory HE were diagnosed with single large SPSSs that were considered eligible for embolization. On a short-term basis (i.e., within 100 days after embolization), 22 out of 37 patients (59.4%) were free of HE (P < 0.001 versus before embolization) of which 18 (48.6% of patients overall) remained HE-free over a mean follow-up period of 697 ± 157 days (P < 0.001 versus before embolization). Overall, we noted improved autonomy, decreased number of hospitalizations, and severity of the worst HE episode after embolization in three-quarters of the patients. Logistic regression identified the MELD score as strongest positive predictive factor of HE recurrence with a cutoff of 11 for patient selection. As to safety, we noted one major nonlethal procedure-related complication. There was no significant increase in de novo development or aggravation of preexisting varices, portal hypertensive gastropathy, or ascites. CONCLUSION: This multicenter European cohort study demonstrated a role for large SPSSs in chronic protracted or recurrent HE and substantiated the effectiveness and safety of embolization of these shunts, provided there is sufficient functional liver reserve.

Síndrome de Carney / Carney Syndrome

En 1977, Carney describió un síndrome inusual caracterizado por la aparición, concomitante o sucesiva, de tres tumores diferentes: leiomiosarcoma gástrico, condroma pulmonar y paraganglioma extraadrenal funcionante. La presencia de dos de los tumores es suficiente para establecer el diagnóstico, y es excepcional que los pacientes manifiesten la tríada completa. Sus principales características clínicas son la alta incidencia en pacientes jóvenes, especialmente mujeres, la multicentricidad de los tumores y la escasa sintomatología local tumoral, particularmente del sarcoma gástrico. Presentamos el caso de un síndrome de Carney en un varón de 55 años con un tumor del estroma gastrointestinal y condromas pulmonares múltiples aparecidos de forma sucesiva, en un intervalo de 18 años (AU)

Unusual primary lung tumors: a radiologic-pathologic overview.

Although the great majority of lung carcinomas are histologically characterized as adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, large cell undifferentiated carcinoma, or small cell carcinoma, a variety of rare benign and malignant lung tumors may sporadically affect the lung. Several nonneoplastic tumorlike lesions are seen infrequently but are also part of the differential diagnosis for lung masses. Conventional radiographic findings, although of limited value in the diagnosis of these entities, should be examined carefully when lung tumors are suspected. Computed tomography (CT) is well suited for making a definitive diagnosis of some disease processes. CT helps determine the location and features of the lesions and depicts associated findings to help document the extent of disease. The differential diagnosis can be narrowed when there are typical CT features (eg, the presence of fat in lipoid pneumonia). Although unusual primary lung tumors are difficult to diagnose on the basis of imaging findings alone because such findings are nonspecific in the majority of cases, cross-sectional imaging can play an important role in the diagnostic work-up of these unusual tumors by delineating their extent and directing the radiologist or bronchoscopist to the appropriate biopsy site.

Doppler in hepatic cirrhosis and chronic hepatitis.

Doppler ultrasound and color Doppler are being used routinely in the study of vascular structures of the abdomen, and more particularly the liver. Reports published in the literature to date have shown that all patients with hepatic cirrhosis and chronic hepatitis should be studied in the first stage of their illness and in follow-up by using Doppler techniques. With new ultrasound software and the latest generation of contrast agents, we can obtain a better and more complete vascular study of the liver, which previously could be achieved only with triple-phase CT. Therefore, hepatic cirrhosis and chronic hepatitis, as well as their vascular complications, can be followed up more closely. The vascular complications include flow alterations in the hepatic artery and veins, portal hypertension, portal vein thrombosis, portosystemic shunts, and vascularization associated with liver tumors.