Movement disorders after intervertebral disc surgery: Coincidence or causal relationship?

It is well known that brain injury or central traumatic lesions may result in the subsequent appearance of movement disorders such as dystonia or tremor. The concept that peripheral lesions to neural structures may be involved in the pathogenesis of movement disorders has been discussed controversely but has gained more widespread acceptance only recently. Here, we report on 6 patients who developed movement disorders after spinal disc surgery. The movement disorders became manifest with a delay of 1 day to 12 months after surgery. Of the six patients, 4 underwent cervical disc surgery, and 2 patients were operated on for lumbar disc herniation; 2 patients presented with paroxysmal kinesigenic segmental dystonia, 1 patient with focal dystonia, 2 with unilateral tremor, and 1 with bilateral tremor. The appearance of the movement disorder was associated with persistent dermatomal or segmental pain. In all patients, the anatomic distribution of the movement disorder was related to the nerve root or spinal segment of the corresponding disc level and the manifestation was in close temporal relation to the surgery. We conclude that spinal disc surgery may be another, thus far neglected, cause for movement disorders. The postoperative pain syndrome in all patients should be considered as an important factor of pathogenesis. Overall, movement disorders associated with disc surgery appear to be rare, yet they may cause significant discomfort to the affected individual.     

Quality of life and voice following endoscopic resection or radiotherapy for early glottic cancer

Objectives: To assess whether proposed voice and quality of life (QoL) outcome measures were likely to be acceptable to patients previously treated for early glottic cancer by either radiotherapy or endoscopic resection, as well as looking for differences in QoL and voice between treatments. Design: Questionnaire‐based cohort study. Setting: Secondary care, three centres. Participants: All patients treated for T1a or in situ glottic carcinoma between 1997 and 2003. Fifty‐three patients were identified; those who had undergone salvage surgery or radiotherapy were excluded. A proportion refused to participate or could not be contacted and two patients had died of unrelated causes. Thirty‐six patients completed the trial with 18 from each treatment arm. Main outcome measures: Quality of voice as assessed by three questionnaires, Voice Handicap Index (VHI), Vocal Performance Questionnaire (VPQ), Voice Symptom Score (VoiSS) and perceptual analysis of voice by Grade, Roughness, Breathiness, Asthenia and Strained (GRBAS) assessment of vocal recordings. Quality of life as assessed by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), University of Washington Quality of Life Questionnaire (UW‐QoL), and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy (FACT) questionnaire. Results: All patients included in the trial were able to complete the questionnaires; however, 19% required assistance of some kind. GRBAS assessment showed no difference between groups for any criteria. All QoL questionnaires gave equivalent good scores. All of the voice questionnaires showed no statistical difference between groups except for the emotional subscale of the VoiSS which showed a significantly better score for the radiotherapy arm (P = 0.04). Conclusion: All outcome measures were applicable and acceptable to the patient group. Overall QoL and voice appears similar despite treatment arm, apart from the emotional subscale of the VoiSS. A randomized controlled trial is required to further assess this question.     

Classification of patients with whiplash associated disorders (WAD): reliable and valid subgroups based on the Multidimensional Pain Inventory (MPI-S).

BACKGROUND: Classification of patients with chronic whiplash associated disorders (WAD) into homogenous subgroups is an important objective in order to tailor interventions and to control for subgroup differences when evaluating treatment outcome. AIMS: The aims of this study were to investigate if it was possible to replicate and describe the three cluster solution and profiles found in other pain groups and describe cluster profiles based on self-reported Multidimensional Pain Inventory-scores for patients with WAD three months after the injury, describe characteristics of the clusters in relation to disability, self-efficacy and coping at the same point in time and to validate the cluster solution by comparing clusters in disability, self-efficacy and coping over time. METHODS: Ninety-one WAD-patients three months after the accident took part in the study. The measures used were the Multidimensional Pain Inventory-Swedish version (MPI-S), The Self-Efficacy Scale, The Coping Strategies Questionnaire and The Pain Disability Index. Cluster analysis was conducted for the total sample MPI-S subscale scores. RESULTS: The adaptive copers cluster represented 42% of the sample, dysfunctional 34% of the sample, and interpersonally distressed 24% of the sample. The external validation of cluster solution showed that there were several significant differences between clusters in self-efficacy, disability and coping measures. There was also a significant interaction effect (clusterxtime) in disability (PDI). Patients in dysfunctional cluster reported a decreased disability over time. CONCLUSIONS: These results support the presence of different subgroups among patients with whiplash associated disorders. This classification can be seen as a complement to a classification based on medical condition.     

极低体重儿药物性急性肾功能衰竭12例报告

[背景 ]探讨极低体重儿药物性急性肾功能衰竭的发生原因及预后 .[病例报告 ]对 12例极低体重儿使用甲灭酸后发生的急性肾功能衰竭进行了分析 ,发现每次使用该药 2mg/kg ,使用 1 9次±0 6次 ,3 7h± 3 0h后发生肾功能衰竭 .肾功能衰竭时 ,患儿钾、尿素氮、尿量与肾功能衰竭纠正后相比差异有显著性 ,而钠、钙及肌酐则无显著性差异 .纠正肾功能衰竭的时间为 6日± 3日 ,其中 10例的肾功能恢复正常 ,2例死亡 .[讨论 ]极低体重儿使用前列腺素抑制剂可引起暂时性肾功能衰竭     

The Relationship Between Psychogenic Cough and the Diagnosis and Misdiagnosis of Asthma: A Review

The differential diagnoses of persistent nonproductive cough include numerous pulmonary and nonpulmonary organic disorders as well as functional illnesses. Many diseases can cause cough, and several studies have shown asthma among the most common etiologies associated with chronic cough in adult nonsmokers, as well as children. Psychogenic cough and its relationship to asthma and other asthma-like illnesses is complex since distinct maladies with similar features may coexist individually or in combination in any given patient. While chronic cough may occur as a sole presenting manifestation of bronchial asthma in all age groups, recent findings suggest that most children with persistent cough without other respiratory symptoms do not have asthma. Since several organic, as well as functional diseases, may present with persistent cough as their sole manifestation in either adults or children, cough should not be used as a single or major determinant to diagnose and treat asthma, especially when empirically focused therapy trials fail. Given the range of illnesses causing cough, no single management guideline can be expected to be universally effective.     

解剖因素致单纯鼻源性头痛的鼻内镜手术

目的 :探讨鼻内镜手术治疗解剖因素致单纯鼻源性头痛的方法和疗效。方法 :鼻内镜下切除或矫正鼻腔鼻窦区异常解剖结构。结果 :单一因素中鼻丘气房肥大 ,泡性中、上鼻甲及中隔偏曲分别为 7例、10例、12例 ,术后治愈率达 71.4 3%、6 0 .0 0 %、6 6 .6 7% ,合计治愈率达 6 5 .5 2 %。多因素者 4 4例 ,术后治愈率达38.6 4% ,与单一因素差异有显著性 (P <0 .0 2 5 )。患者治疗有效率达 10 0 %。结论 :鼻内镜手术是治疗解剖因素致单纯鼻源性头痛的有效方法之一 ,单一因素者疗效更佳。     

腰椎间盘突出症患者腰腿痛的血循环障碍因素与推拿手法的促循环作用机制

推拿手法长期以来被广泛用于腰椎间盘突出症的治疗．但其疗效机制却不甚明了。腰椎间盘突出症最具特征性的临床症状是不同程度的腰腿痛，其发病机制主要是机械压迫、无菌性炎症刺激以及循环与营养障碍等因素导致受累神经根传导功能的障碍，其中血循环与营养障碍是腰腿痛发病的重要环节。手法治疗对患者腰腿痛的缓解与消除作用应与改善患者的血循环和营养障碍有直接或间接的关系。