Surgical management of severe rigid tuberculous kyphosis of dorsolumbar spine

To assess the effectiveness of deformity correction and safety of the two major corrective spinal surgical procedures, 35 patients, aged 14–47 years, were placed into two groups according to procedures performed. Sixteen patients (group A) had four-stage procedures including initial halo-pelvic distraction after anterior release and a subsequent three procedural steps plus brace. Nineteen patients (group B) had one-set two-stage procedures: wire segmental stabilisation in eight cases and rod/hook and/or pedicle screw stabilisation in 11 cases. Average preoperative kyphosis in group A was 88° and postoperative at zero, three, six, and 18 months were 29˚, 33˚, 35˚ and 35˚, respectively, while those of group B were 86˚ preoperative and postoperative 27˚, 31˚, 33˚, and 33˚, respectively. Neural complication developed in five cases: one in group A and four in group B. It was concluded that the one-set two-stage procedure is more efficient, time-saving, and cost-effective, though it is highly challenging with relatively high rates of neural complication.     

Tuberculosis of hip in children: A retrospective analysis

Background:

Tuberculosis (TB) of hip constitutes nearly 15% of all cases of osteoarticular tuberculosis. We report a retrospective study carried out on 43 children with hip TB.

Materials and Methods:

Forty-three children of TB hip treated between 1971 and 2000 were analysed. Twenty-four children of the early series were treated with streptomycin (S), isoniazid (H) and PAS (Pa) for 18 months (3HPaS, 15 HPa), while 19 children in the later series were treated with isoniazid (H), rifampicin (R) and ethambutol (E) or pyrazinamide (Z) for 12 months [(12 RHE(Z)]. Five out of 18 children with radiologically normal appearing type hip TB were treated with chemotherapy alone and 38 children were subjected to surgery; simple synovectomy alone in 31 hips, joint debridement in six hips, and proximal femoral varisation osteotomy in one. After surgery hips were immobilized in cast for one to three months according to the severity of the disease and patients pain tolerance, and then were mobilized under leg traction in bed gradually till pain subsided completely.

Results:

TB of hip healed with minimum sequelae in all children. In 18 Type one hip TB, normal hip (synovial form) anatomy was maintained, and in 25 patients with advanced lesions some defect in the femoral head and acetabulum was noticed, though painless good hip motion was maintained. Excellent to good results were obtained in 31 children (73.1%), fair in eight (18.6%), and poor in four (9.3%). In four patients with poor results, there was some residual morphological defect in the hip. None developed ankylosis of hip.

Conclusion:

We achieved good outcome with minimum sequelae in this series. The management goal should be aimed not only to heal the disease but also to maintain a painless mobile hip and anatomical cephalocotyloid relationship until maturity, and retard the development of secondary osteoarthritis.     

Gastrectomy for the treatment of refractory gastric ulceration after radioembolization with 90Y microspheres

Transcatheter arterial radioembolization (TARE) with Yttrium-90 (⁹⁰Y)-labeled microspheres has an emerging role in treatment of patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma. Although complication of TARE can be minimized by aggressive pre-evaluation angiography and preventive coiling of aberrant vessels, radioembolization-induced gastroduodenal ulcer can be irreversible and can be life-threatening. Treatment of radioembolization-induced gastric ulcer is challenging because there is a few reported cases and no consensus for management. We report a case of severe gastric ulceration with bleeding that eventually required surgery due to aberrant deposition of microspheres after TARE.     

Transient hemidiaphragmatic paresis after ultrasound-guided lateral sagittal infraclavicular block

As compared with medial approaches for the infraclavicular brachial plexus block, lateral approaches generally have no impact on the phrenic nerve or pulmonary function. A patient experienced transient hemidiaphragmatic paresis after ultrasound-guided lateral sagittal infraclavicular block for lower arm surgery. An accessory phrenic nerve, ie, an anatomical variation, may have been the mechanism of transient hemidiaphragmatic paresis in this patient.     

Use of the Sundt Clip Graft in a Previously Coiled Internal Carotid Artery Blister-Like Aneurysm

Owing to the focal wall defect covered with thin fibrous tissues, an aneurysm arising from the dorsal wall of the internal carotid artery (ICA) is difficult to manage either surgically or endovascularly and is often associated with high morbidity and mortality. Unfortunately, the definitive treatment modality of such highly risky aneurysm has not yet been demonstrated. Upon encountering the complex intracranial pathophysiology of such a highly precarious aneurysm, a neurosurgeon would be faced with a challenge to decide on an optimal approach. This is a case of multiple paraclinoid aneurysms including the ICA dorsal wall aneurysm, presented with spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage. With respect to treatment, direct clipping with a Sundt graft clip was performed after multiple endovascular interventions had failed. This surgical approach can be a treatment modality for a blood blister-like aneurysm after failed endovascular intervention(s).     

Pre-operative factors that can predict neoplastic polypoid lesions of the gallbladder

AIM:To investigate the preoperative factors that can predict neoplastic polypoid lesions of the gallbladder(PLGs) as well as malignant PLGs.METHODS:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the 210 consecutively enrolled patients who underwent cholecystectomy due to a PLG larger than 10 mm,as was determined by preoperative trans-abdominal ultrasonography or endoscopic ultrasonography.We ana-lyzed the medical,laboratory,radiologic data and the pathologic results.RESULTS:In 210 cases,146 had non-neoplastic po...