自发性椎管内硬膜外、硬膜下血肿的诊断和治疗

探讨比较自发性硬脊膜外、硬膜下血肿的出血原因、临床表现、影像特征及治疗预后。结合相关文献，回顾性分析7例自发性硬脊膜外血肿和1例自发性硬膜下血肿的流行病学、发病机制、部位，临床特征、神经功能状态，以及手术，保守治疗和预后。结果有6例患者手术治疗，1例痊愈，2例保守治疗，1例痊愈。自发性硬脊膜外，硬膜下血肿多急性起病,硬脊膜外较硬膜下血肿更为常见，且MRI显示椎管内占位影较CT明显。MRI检查是诊断本病最佳方法。手术减压是改善预后的主要方法。起病到治疗的时间间隔越短预后越好。     

脊髓血管母细胞瘤的MRI特点

【摘要】〓目的〓分析探讨脊髓血管母细胞瘤的MRI表现特征。方法〓回顾性分析经手术病理证实的7例脊髓血管母细胞瘤的临床及MRI表现。全部患者均行MRI平扫及增强扫描。结果〓单发6例,多发1例,共有脊髓血管母细胞瘤病灶8个,所有病灶均位于髓内。其中,延髓1个,颈段4个,胸段2个,腰段1个。肿瘤多呈点状、结节状、香肠状或不规则形状,肿瘤在MRI T1WI呈等或稍低信号,T2WI呈稍高信号,增强扫描上下径<20 mm的病灶呈明显、均匀强化,上下径>20 mm的病灶呈明显不均匀强化,其内可见多发流空的血管影;7例患者均伴有不同程度脊髓空洞或水肿。结论〓脊髓血管母细胞在MRI中具有特征性的影像表现,MRI对诊断脊髓血管母细胞瘤具有重要价值。     

Spinal subarachnoid bleeding of unknown etiology. Case reports

Spinal subarachnoid bleeding of unknown etiology is extremely rare. It has been suggested that these lesions have to be divided into two subtypes with different behaviour and prognosis according to their location around the spinal cord. The dorsally located bleeding would invariably cause severe spinal cord compression while the ventral lesions would have a very benign course in the absence of remarkable neurological deficit. We observed two patients with spontaneous spinal subarachnoid bleeding of unknown etiology. In both cases the disease was revealed by the sudden onset of severe back pain without subsequent signs of spinal cord compression. In one case the bleeding was ventral to the spinal cord while in the other it was located dorsally. The patients were evaluated with panspinal MRI and selective spinal angiography. They were treated conservatively and follow-up examinations at 18 and 24 months show they are neurologically intact in the absence of rebleeding episodes. We think the diagnosis of spontaneous subarachnoid bleeding of unknown etiology cannot be achieved without a panspinal MRI and a selective angiography have ruled out any other causes. We suggest their incidence is more prevalent than reported due to the difficulty/reluctance to employ MR in the presence of only minor symptoms. Our cases also show that these lesions may have a benign course independently from their location around the spinal cord.     

Cavernomas of the central nervous system: Clinical syndromes,CT scan diagnosis,and prognosis after surgical treatment in 25 cases

We present our clinical experience and the results of surgical management with 25 cavernomas of the CNS, treated in our hospital in the last 10 years. The location of the lesion assessed by clinical and CT scan examinations, proved to be the most significative factor determining the prognosis of cavernomas of the CNS, after surgical removal. The symptoms started in most of the cases in the third decade of life. 19 cases were located in the cerebral hemispheres and produced three well defined clinical syndromes: Irritative syndrome (seizures) present in 70% of the cases. Space-occupying lesion syndrome (20%) and haemorrhagic syndrome (10%). The remaining six cases were located within the basal ganglia, brainstem, pineal region, cerebellum and spinal cord, showing a progressive course. CT scan studies were performed on 24 cases. The characteristic image of a cavernoma is represented by a moderately hyperdense nodule with discreet contrast uptake. Calcification was observed in and around the lesions in 33% of the cases. Perilesional hypodensities suggestive of brain tissue atrophy were noted in 22% of the CT scans. On the other hand, 12% of cerebral hemisphere cavernomas showed atypical CT scan images that suggested an erroneous diagnosis of cystic gliomas. Radical surgical removal was performed in all cases. The postoperative results varied according to the location of the lesions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Subarachnoid haemorrhage due to cervical spinal cord haemangioblastomas in a patient with von Hippel-Lindau disease

Summary ¶A case is presented with severe infra- and supratentorial subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) caused by intramedullary haemangioblastomas of the cervical spinal cord. The patient initially had a typical SAH symptomatology without neurological deficit. The cerebral angiogram was nondiagnostic. After admission the patient developed slightly progressive right sensorimotor paresis. Angiography of the cervical spine and MRI delineated three intramedullary haemangioblastomas. Retrospectively the diagnosis of von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease was made by multiple haemangioblastomas and a positive family history. The three lesions were surgically completely removed.Published online October 13, 2003     

Cervical spinal epidural abscesses. A report on five cases.

The authors report a series of five cases of non tuberculous cervical spinal epidural abscesses. There were neither patients suffering from immunodeficiency syndromes nor drug addicts; all the patients were in their seventh decade; two patients were affected by diabetes mellitus refractory to medical treatment. Retropharyngeal abscess was the main etiological risk factor (two cases); Staphylococcus aureus was cultured in two cases. Gadolinium MRI was necessary for a preoperative diagnosis, planning surgical approach and postoperative prognosis. Surgical debridement was performed via an anterior approach in those cases where the collection was located lower than C4 and did not span more than three vertebral segments; posterior approach, via a laminectomy, was performed in a case of C1-C2 location of the lesion and in a case of involvement of the whole cervical spine. Surgical results were poor in those patients affected by diabetes mellitus, a lesion involving the high cervical segments (higher than C4) or a lesion spanning more than three levels. Medical treatment with MRI follow-up was not undertaken in any of the patients and we opted for surgical drainage in all the cases due to the possibility of a sudden neurological deterioration, caused both by spinal cord mechanical compression and vascular compromission.     

颈胸段脊柱肿瘤的外科治疗

目的 观察比较不同手术入路方法治疗颈胸段脊柱肿瘤的疗效。方法 本组９例,共１０例次。对其中４例肿瘤同时累及椎体及椎体后部结构的患者,选择前后路同期手术,经前路切除肿瘤、椎管减压及钢筋骨水泥或前路钢板固定,并同期行后路肿瘤切除术,其中１例行Ｌａｕｑｕｅ棒固定;对４例肿瘤仅累及椎体者,选择经前路切除肿瘤、椎管减压、钢筋骨水泥固定;另２例肿瘤单纯累及椎体后部结构者,经后路行肿瘤切除和椎管减压术。术后４例     

Magnetic resonance imaging of spinal arteriovenous malformations

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed on 12 patients with spinal arteriovenous malformations (AVM's). Six lesions were intramedullary, five were dural, and one was in a posterior extramedullary location. Serpentine filling defects similar to the classic myelographic findings were demonstrated within the high-signal cerebrospinal fluid on T2-weighted coronal scans. The intramedullary nidus was identified by MRI as an area of low-signal intensity within the cord in all six intramedullary AVM's. Neither the dural nor the posterior extramedullary lesions showed intramedullary components. It is concluded that MRI may noninvasively provide the initial diagnosis of a spinal AVM and distinguish intramedullary from dural and extramedullary lesions.     

Stereotactic radiosurgery results in three cases of intramedullary spinal cord arteriovenous malformations

Background contextIntramedullary spinal cord arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are rare and have an unfavorable prognosis. We report our experience of treating three symptomatic patients with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). The standard treatment for these lesions are embolization or microsurgical resection. There are only a few reports of efficacy of radiosurgery in these cases.PurposeTo study the efficacy of radiosurgery in intramedullary spinal cord AVM patients, who failed or refused conventional treatment.Study settingThis study reports the results of SRS in 3 cases of intramedullary spinal cord AVMs.Patient sampleThree symptomatic patients diagnosed with intramedullary spinal cord AVMs. Two patients underwent embolization previously and one was newly diagnosed.Outcome measuresThe AVM obliteration was assessed by yearly high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Clinical examination was carried out every 6 months.MethodsThree symptomatic patients with intramedullary spinal cord AVMs were treated with SRS using the cyberknife system from January 2010 to May 2011. All the three patients presented with acute neurologic symptoms. Two patients were treated previously with embolization. As per protocol, patients underwent a plain computed tomography (CT), CT angiography, high-resolution MRI, and conventional spinal angiography for radiotherapy planning. The mean target volume was 4.05 cc. The prescribed dose was 21 Gy in three fractions on consecutive days. No special immobilization was done during treatment. Continuous image guidance of the treated area was done using the specialized spine tracking software. Follow-up was done by yearly clinical examination and high-resolution spine MRI after SRS.ResultsMean follow-up was 36 months. Follow-up MRI revealed absence of flow voids, suggesting complete obliteration of the AVM in two patients, with significant improvement in neurologic and functional symptoms. The third patient did not show any clinical improvement or deterioration. There was no incidence of hemorrhage after SRS in any patient and the treatment was well tolerated without any significant complications.ConclusionsStereotactic radiosurgery for intramedullary spinal AVMs appears to be well tolerated and effective in selected cases.     

Spinal schwannomatosis in the absence of neurofibromatosis: A very rare condition

Schwannomatosis is defined as an extremely rare tumors syndrome characterized by the presence of multiple schwannomas in the absence of typical signs of NF1 and NF2 syndromes. The genetic and molecular analysis performed on these tumors makes it possible to name schwannomatosis as distinct clinical and genetic syndrome. The treatment in the case of symptomatic lesions is surgical removal; if the lesions are asymptomatic it is better to perform serial MRI studies. Given the high incidence of developing additional lesions in patients with schwannomatosis, it remains imperative to perform serial brain and spinal cord MRI studies during follow-up. The differential diagnosis is important including clinical and radiological criteria plus molecular genetic analysis of tumor cells and lymphocyte DNA. We report a rare case of spinal schwannomatosis in which genetic analysis performed on surgical samples showed two different mutations in the cells of the two lesions.     

The role of routine magnetic resonance imaging in the preoperative evaluation of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis

The routine use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis remains controversial, and current indications for MRI in idiopathic scoliosis vary from study to study. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the prevalence of neural axis malformations and the clinical relevance of routine MRI studies in the evaluation of patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis undergoing surgical intervention without any neurological findings. A total of 249 patients with a diagnosis of idiopathic scoliosis were treated surgically between the years 2002 and 2007. A routine whole spine MRI analysis was performed in all patients. On the preoperative clinical examination, all patients were neurologically intact. There were 20 (8%) patients (3 males and 17 females) who had neural axis abnormalities on MRI. Three of those 20 patients needed additional neurosurgical procedures before corrective surgery; the remaining underwent corrective spinal surgery without any neurosurgical operations. Magnetic resonance imaging may be beneficial for patients with presumed idiopathic scoliosis even in the absence of neurological findings and it is ideally performed from the level of the brainstem to the sacrum.     

Surgical management of spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma

Spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma (SSEH) is a rare disease entity; its causative factors and the factors determining the outcome are still controversial. We reviewed our clinical experiences and analyzed the various factors related to the outcome for SSEH. We investigated 14 patients (11 men and 3 women) who underwent hematoma removal for SSEH from April 1998 to August 2004. We reviewed age, gender, hypertension, anticoagulant use and the preoperative neurological status using the Japanese Orthopaedics Association score by examining medical records, operative records, pathology reports, and radiographies, retrospectively. We were checking for factors such as the degree of cord compression owing to hematoma and the extent and location of the hematoma. Most patients included in the study were in their twenties or fifties. Four hematoma were located in the cervical region (29%), three were cervicothoracic (21%), four were thoracic (29%) and three were in the lumbar (21%) region and also 12 were located at the dorsal aspect of the spinal cord. In all cases, the neurological outcome improved after the surgical operation. There was a statistically significant difference between the incomplete and complete neurological injury for the preoperative status (P<0.05). The neurological outcome was good in those cases that had their hematoma removed within 24 h (P<0.05). The patients with incomplete neurological injury who had a surgical operation performed within 12 h had an excellent surgical outcome (P<0.01). Spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma was favorably treated by the means of a surgical operation. The favorable factors for SSEH operations were incomplete neurological injury at the time of the preoperative status and the short operative time interval.     

Surgical management of spinal cord haemangioblastoma

Summary Background. The surgical management of spinal cord haemangioblastomas is distinct from that of other benign spinal cord tumours and optimal surgical strategy is still being determined because of the rarity of the condition. The aim of this study is to investigate factors that affect the outcome of surgical management. Patients and methods. We retrospectively analysed 24 operations for symptomatic spinal cord haemangioblastomas in 20 patients. Clinical features and surgical results were investigated by medical record review, telephone interviews, angiographic images, and magnetic resonance images (MRI). The mean follow-up period was 5.6 years (range 6 months to 13.6 years). Results. Patients with cystic components showed pre-operative motor weakness and sensory change more commonly than those without cystic components. Post-operative function scale had a positive correlation with pre-operative function (R ² = 0.727; p < 0.001) and no correlation with the extent of the surgery. All subtotally removed tumours recurred, whereas totally removed tumours recurred in only 3 patients. Conclusion. The cystic component of spinal cord haemangioblastomas is responsible for symptom generation and is helpful for dissecting tumours. Post-operative functional status is determined by pre-operative functional status. Total removal is feasible by using the correct surgical technique and is recommended to prevent recurrence. Correspondence: Do Heum Yoon, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Neurosurgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 134 Shinchon-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 120-752, Korea.     

脊柱转移性肿瘤的外科治疗策略

目的：探讨脊柱转移性肿瘤的临床特点、手术治疗策略及其预后。方法：对103例脊柱转移性肿瘤患者的临床特点、手术适应证、外科治疗方式及其预后进行分析。结果：术后随访6个月－5年。85例患者术后局部疼痛、神经根痛缓解甚至消失，脊髓压迫症状改善或缓解；术后6个月、1、2、3、4年的生存率分别为97．1％、90．3％、44．7％、29．1％、8．7％。结论：脊柱转移性肿瘤患者多数表现为局部疼痛，部分患者有脊髓、神经根损害的表现。手术必须考虑全身情况，限于脊柱不稳、神经功能进行性损害、局部疼痛剧烈且原发病灶已积极处理、或原发灶不明手术作为明确病理诊断以指导进一步治疗的患者。根据肿瘤侵犯部位、患者耐受手术情况、预期寿命等选择前路、后路或前后联合入路的一期或二期手术。手术能够稳定和重建脊柱，减轻或缓解疼痛，维持或改善神经功能，从而改善患者的生活质量。     

The value of dynamic cervical MRI in management of selected patients presenting traumatic cervical cord injury

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this report is to describe our experience with dynamic cervical MRI for detection of cervical spinal cord instability in patients presenting spinal cord trauma without fracture or dislocation of the spinal column. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Since January 2000 a total of 95 patients presenting spinal cord trauma have been treated in our department. All patients underwent MRI for diagnostic work-up. Dynamic MRI was performed if spinal cord instability was suspected. Whenever possible, high-quality plain radiography dynamic views were obtained (coma, severe deficit, study of the cervicothoracic junction). RESULTS: Dynamic MRI allowed diagnosis of spinal cord instability in 6 patients with a mean age of 65 years (range, 45 to 75). Instability occurred during extension in 4 patients and during flexion and extension in one case. In the remaining case instability was associated with herniation of a cervical disc due to a severe cervical sprain. All 6 patients underwent early surgical stabilization that allowed improvement in-hospital patient care and quick transfer to rehabilitation centers. CONCLUSION: Dynamic MRI can be a useful tool to detect unstable spinal cord instability in some patients presenting noncompressive spinal cord injuries.     

Surgical management of spinal cord hemangioblastomas in patients with von Hippel-Lindau disease

OBJECT: Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease is an autosomal-dominant disorder frequently associated with hemangioblastomas of the spinal cord. Because of the slow progression, protean nature, and high frequency of multiple spinal hemangioblastomas associated with VHL disease, the surgical management of these lesions is complex. Because prior reports have not identified the factors that predict which patients with spinal cord hemangioblastomas need surgery or what outcomes of this procedure should be expected, the authors have reviewed a series of patients with VHL disease who underwent resection of spinal hemangioblastomas at a single institution to identify features that might guide surgical management of these patients. METHODS: Forty-four consecutive patients with VHL disease (26 men and 18 women) who underwent 55 operations with resection of 86 spinal cord hemangioblastomas (mean age at surgery 34 years; range 20-58 years) at the National Institutes of Health were included in this study (mean clinical follow up 44 months). Patient examination, review of hospital charts, operative findings, and magnetic resonance imaging studies were used to analyze surgical management and its outcome. To evaluate the clinical course, clinical grades were assigned to patients before and after surgery. Preoperative neurological status, tumor size, and tumor location were predictive of postoperative outcome. Patients with no or minimal preoperative neurological dysfunction, with lesions smaller than 500 mm3, and with dorsal lesions were more likely to have no or minimal neurological impairment. Syrinx resolution was the result of tumor removal and was not influenced by whether the syrinx cavity was entered. CONCLUSIONS: Spinal cord hemangioblastomas can be safely removed in the majority of patients with VHL disease. Generally in these patients, hemangioblastomas of the spinal cord should be removed when they produce symptoms or signs.     

Magnetic resonance imaging in acute spinal cord trauma

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has proven to be an invaluable tool for evaluating neoplastic, congenital, and degenerative conditions of the spine and spinal cord. Because of various technical limitations, however, the use of MRI in acutely spinal cord-injured patients has not been fully explored. Sixty-two spinal cord-injured patients underwent MRI within the first 36 hours of injury. A variety of pathological findings were detected on the MRI scans: anatomical cord transection (7 cases), spinal cord deformity secondary to extrinsic compression (28), focal cord enlargement/swelling (21), hyperintense intramedullary lesions (17), and disc herniations (2). MRI may be a useful adjunct in the evaluation of acute spinal cord injury.     

Multishot diffusion-weighted imaging features in spinal cord infarction

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to use a multishot, navigator-corrected, echo-planar (EP) pulse sequence to perform clinical diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), analyze the DWI findings in ischemic spinal cord lesions, and discuss the value of DW magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in distinguishing infarction (especially in the subacute stage) from inflammatory diseases and tumors of the spinal cord. METHODS: Six patients (two male, four female) with typical sudden onset of neurologic deficits caused by spinal cord ischemia were evaluated. There were no definite etiologies in these patients. Three cases occurred in the thoracolumbar region and three others occurred in the cervical cord. DWI was performed within 1-12 days after the initial neurologic symptoms by using a Philips Gyroscan 1.5 T MR system. Four patients had other scans including contrast-enhanced MRI and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) scans. Two cases were followed up with MR images in 3 months. All the patients were imaged using a multishot, navigator-corrected, EP pulse sequence; apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values were calculated on the sagittal-oriented plane. RESULTS: MR abnormalities were demonstrated on sagittal T2-weighted images with "patch-like" or "strip-like" hyperintensities (six of six) and spinal cord enlargement (five of six). Axial T2-weighted images showed bilateral (six of six) hyperintensities. In one patient, only the posterior spinal artery territory was involved. The spinal cord was mainly affected at the cervical (three of six) and thoracolumbar (three of six) regions. Two cases involved the conus medullaris (T10-L1). The intensity of lesion signals in DW images depended on how soon after the onset of illness the scan was carried out and whether hemorrhage had occurred. In this group of patients, ADC values of lesions ranged from 0.23 x 10(-3) to 0.47 x 10(-3) mm2/s (average value 0.36 +/- 0.10 x 10(-3) mm2/s), markedly lower than the values of normal parts (average value 0.89 +/- 0.08 x 10(-3) mm2/s). There were obviously significant differences between areas with lesions and normal regions (P < 0.01). All cases had better signal contrast in DW images than in T2-weighted images. Dynamic or repeated DWI examinations may help analyze the degree of injury and recovery. Most lesions (three of four) showed nonenhanced effects in the contrast-enhanced MRI except one lesion, which showed irregular slight enhancement. FLAIR images showed poor signal contrast between lesions and normal tissue and thus are not fit for displaying infarct lesions. CONCLUSIONS: MRI is useful in detecting spinal cord infarction. DWI (especially multishot DWI) of the spinal cord may provide additional information for the assessment of ischemic changes and help improve in differentiating diagnosis.     

Diagnosis and surgical treatment of spinal hemangioblastoma

Spinal hemangioblastoma is a rare tumor. Its incidence varies from 1.6 to 2.1% of primary spinal cord tumors. In this report, the authors described MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) of spinal hemangioblastoma and its surgical results. [MATERIALS AND METHODS] This series included 10 spinal hemangioblastomas studied with CT or MRI. There were 8 men and 2 women. The age ranged from 21 to 68 years, with a mean age of 45 years. 6 patients were preoperatively and postoperatively studied with a resistive 0.15 T system (Toshiba MRT 15A) or a superconductive 1.5 T system (GE Signa or Siemens Magnetom). The lesions were single in 8 out of 10 patients and multiple in 2. 10 spinal hemangioblastomas were located in intramedullary space and 2 in both intramedullary and extramedullary space. 8 out of 10 patients (80%) were associated with cyst. [RESULTS] (1) MRI In T1-weighted MR images after administration of Gd-DTPA, the solid component of the tumor enhanced brilliantly. The enhanced lesions contained serpiginous areas of signal void, reflecting vascular structures in 5 out of 6 cases. The intrinsic spinal cord signal was heterogenous with low intensity areas representing the associated cyst. The cyst appeared either isointensive to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) or hyperintense relative to CSF and slightly hypointense relative to the spinal cord. The precise delineation of the tumor was impossible without enhancement. Noncontrast T1-weighted MR images displayed diffuse widening of the spinal cord. On T2-weighted MR images, all regions of the spinal cord enlargement increased in signal. (2) Postoperative results All 10 cases of spinal hemangioblastomas were totally removed with good postoperative results and the associated cysts were drained. The postoperative MRI showed the disappearance of the tumor and significant reduction in the size of the cyst. [CONCLUSION] (1) Gd-DTPA enhanced MRI was useful in defining and outlining the solid component of spinal hemangioblastoma. (2) The complete removal of the tumor with only drainage of the cyst was possible with good postoperative results.     

Spontaneous regression of two putative supratentorial haemangioblastomas in one patient

Supratentorial haemangioblastomas are exceedingly rare lesions. We report a patient with spontaneous regression of two suspected supratentorial haemangioblastomas after removal of one lesion. The patient was a 61-year-old man who had a generalised seizure. Investigation with MRI revealed three supratentorial lesions situated in the trigone, occipital and frontal locations. The lesion in the occipital area was surgically removed and the histopathology was consistent with a haemangioblastoma. MRI investigations performed 6 months and one year after the operation confirmed that the two remaining lesions had totally disappeared.