Distribution patterns of transforaminal injections in the cervical spine evaluated by multi-slice computed tomography

Transforaminal injections are sometimes used for the diagnosis and treatment of painful conditions in the lumbar and to a lesser degree in the cervical spine. The technique is most often used when investigating/treating radiculopathy caused by degenerative disease. But how selective are the nerve root blocks? What possible structures other than the intended nerve root are affected from such injections? This study was undertaken in order to try to answer these questions, as no study focusing on the possible spread from the transforaminal selective nerve root blocks in the cervical spine has been performed earlier. In three groups of patients, each group including three patients, we injected three different volumes (0.6, 1.1 and 1.7 ml) with a transforaminal technique in the cervical spine. In all the injections, a small amount of contrast media was added. The spread of the injections were then investigated using multi-slice computed tomography with reconstructions. The imaging revealed a possible effect on other nerve roots than the intended ones when a larger volume was used for the root blocks. The spread was related to the injected volume as well as to local anatomy (size of foraminal area). In this study, only 0.6-ml injections could be accepted for being selective enough for diagnostic investigations.     

Easier node dissection after chemoradiotherapy for lung cancer with collagen insertion at mediastinoscopy

Objective: Induction chemoradiotherapy followed by anatomical resection is a current therapeutic strategy for non-small-cell lung cancer with mediastinal node involvement. Dense peritracheal fibrosis and sclerosis after chemoradiotherapy cause difficult mediastinal node dissection. We evaluated a novel technique to make the mediastinal node dissection easier after induction therapy. Methods: At the end of mediastinoscopic node biopsy for staging of lung cancer, cotton-type collagen was inserted anterior and lateral to the trachea in patients with pathologically confirmed mediastinal node involve-ment (n=45). The induction therapy consisted of concurrent use of platinum-based chemotherapy and hyperfractionated radiotherapy. After the chemoradiotherapy all patients underwent a pulmonary resection with complete mediastinal node dissection 7–12 weeks after the collagen insertion. Surgical findings of the mediastinum and the time for node dissection were compared with those without collagen insertion at mediastinoscopy after chemoradiotherapy (n=5). Results: All five patients without collagen insertion showed sclerotic and fibrotic change of mediastinal nodes with severe adhesion to the trachea. In 42 of 45 patients with collagen insertion (93.3%) the collagen remained unabsorbed and separated the mediastinal nodes from the trachea. Mediastinal node dissection was easily accomplished by removing mediastinal tissues lateral and anterior to the collagen. The rate of mediastinal node separation was significantly higher with collagen insertion than without (p< 0.0001). The times for node dissection in patients with and without collagen insertion showed no significant difference. Conclusion: Cotton-type collagen insertion at staging mediastinoscopy for lung cancer separates the mediastinal nodes from the trachea and makes the node dissection easier after induction chemoradiotherapy.     

项韧带骨化相关因素及其组织学变化

目的：探讨脊髓型颈椎病患者项韧带骨化的相关因素及其组织学改变特点.方法：将45例脊髓型颈椎病患者根据项韧带有无骨化分为两组,观察并统计两组患者的年龄、性别组成、颈椎椎间退变和颈椎稳定性情况,对各指标与项韧带骨化的关系进行相关性分析,同时观察项韧带骨化的组织学改变.结果：统计分析表明,项韧带骨化和颈椎椎间退行性改变及颈椎不稳定之间具有相关性（P＜0.05）;同时还与患者年龄、性别组成有相关性（P＜0.05）.项韧带骨化的组织学改变以软骨内化骨为主.结论：项韧带骨化与颈椎退行性改变及颈椎椎间关节不稳定具有相关性,组织学改变以软骨内化骨为主.     

颈椎前路手术内置物并发症的分析

在颈椎前路减压、植骨、带锁钢板内固定技术日渐成熟的今天,越来越多的医院开展了该项手术。自1998年2月-2005年8月应用该方法治疗颈椎病215例,发生与内置物钢板及钛网相关的并发症14例,为此积累了一定的经验,现总结如下。1临床资料本组215例,男126例,女89例;年龄42～82岁,平均     

导航系统辅助下颈椎椎弓根螺钉置钉准确性的实验研究

目的：评价导航系统辅助下颈椎（C3～C7）椎弓根螺钉内固定置钉的准确性.方法：将32具成人尸体颈椎标本随机分为4组,分别采用盲法、透视法、透视导航法和CT导航法进行下颈椎椎弓根螺钉置入.术后采用标本大体解剖观察的方法评价置钉准确性.分优（螺钉完全在椎弓根内）、可（仅有螺纹穿出,对周围组织无损伤）和差（螺钉明显穿出）进行统计.结果：共置入螺钉318枚.盲法80枚,平均手术时间27min,优29枚（36 3%）、可21枚（26.3%）、差30枚（37.5%）;透视法78枚（有1例C4、C5右侧椎弓根均细小,不能容纳3.5mm螺钉）,平均手术时间112min,优35枚（44.9%）、可29枚（37.2%）、差14枚（17.9%）;透视导航法80枚,平均手术时间69min,优34枚（42.5%）,可36枚（45%）,差10枚（12.5%）;CT导航法80枚,平均手术时间98min,优70枚（87.5%）、可10枚（12.5%）.各组间手术时间均有显著性差异（P＜0.05）,透视法与透视导航法的置钉准确率间无显著性差异,其余各组间均有显著性差异（P＜0.05）.结论：单纯根据术前影像结果盲法行下颈椎椎弓根螺钉内固定不安全.透视法和透视导航法可提高置钉准确性,但手术风险仍较大,透视导航法比透视法置钉的手术时间缩短.CT导航法并未比透视法增加手术时间,但置钉准确性显著提高.     

颈椎旋转、半失稳在椎动脉型、交感型、神经根型颈椎病间的相关研究

目的:探讨椎动脉型颈椎病、交感型颈椎病、神经根型颈椎病之间颈椎旋转、半失稳的关系。方法:本组112例,其中椎动脉型38型、交感型36例、神经根型38例,应用图像存档和传输系统(picture archiving and communication systems,PACS)在X线正位片上测量患者每个颈椎椎体的旋转度和在侧位片上测量椎体半失稳的位移距离。结果:在C6旋转度上,椎动脉型颈椎病和交感型颈椎病均与神经根型颈椎病有统计学差异(P<0·01),椎动脉型颈椎病和交感型颈椎病间的C2旋转度有统计学差异(P<0·05),椎动脉型颈椎病和神经根型颈椎病间的C4旋转度有统计学差异(P<0·05)。在椎体半失稳的位移距离和椎体半失稳率上,椎动脉型颈椎病和交感型颈椎病均与神经根型颈椎病有统计学差异(P<0·01)。结论:在椎动脉型颈椎病和交感型颈椎病中椎体半失稳和颈椎旋转是它们发病的一个重要因素,而在神经根型颈椎病中不是发病的重要因素。     

宫颈环形电切术对阴道镜活检诊断为宫颈上皮内瘤变的再评估

目的通过宫颈环形电切术(LEEP)对阴道镜活检诊断为宫颈上皮内瘤变(C IN)的准确性和全面性进行评估。方法对118例阴道镜活检诊断为C IN的患者行LEEP,对比术前术后的病理结果。结果32例阴道镜活检病理为C INⅠ级病例中有11例与LEEP术病理相符,6例LEEP术后病理级别上升,15例LEEP术后病理级别下降;26例阴道镜活检病理C INⅡ级病例中有17例LEEP术后病理示相符,5例LEEP术后病理级别上升,4例LEEP术后病理级别下降;60例阴道镜活检病理为C INⅢ级病例中有44例LEEP术后病理示相符,11例LEEP术后病理级别上升,5例术后病理级别下降。结论LEEP术是明确诊断和治疗C IN的有效而理想的方法,阴道镜活检有一定局限性。     

38例非小细胞癌脑转移的综合治疗分析

目的探讨非小细胞肺癌脑转移的有效治疗方案.方法对38例非小细胞肺癌脑转移患者进行头部、胸部放疗并结合全身化疗的综合治疗.结果近期疗效的有效率为76.3%(29/38).神经精神症状缓解率73.7%(28/38),肺部症状缓解率60.5%(23/38).1年生存率31.5%(12/38),2 a生存率10.5%(4/38).结论合理采用综合治疗可有效提高非小细胞肺癌脑转移患者的生存率.