Incidental durotomy during spine surgery: Incidence,management and complications. A retrospective review

Study designRetrospective review of a series of patients who underwent spinal surgery at a single spine unit during a 1 year period.ObjectivesTo assess the incidence, treatment, clinical consequence, complications of incidental durotomy during spine surgery and results of 37 months clinical follow-up.Summary of background dataIncidental durotomy is an underestimated and relatively adverse event during spinal surgery. Several consequences of inadequately treated dural tears have been reported.MethodsA retrospective review was conducted on 1326 consecutive patients who underwent spinal surgery performed in one French spine unit from January 2005 to December 2005. We excluded from this study patients treated for emergency spine cases.ResultsFifty-one dural tears were identified (3.84%). Incidental durotomies were associated with anterior cervical approach in 1 case, with posterior cervical approach in 1 case, with anterior retroperitoneal approach in 1 case and with posterior thoracolumbar approach in 48 cases. In addition, any clinically significant durotomy unrecognised during surgical procedure were included. Thirteen patients presented postoperative complications including 7 cerebrospinal fluid leaks, 2 wound infections, 2 postoperative haematomas, and 2 pseudomeningoceles. Nine of these 13 patients required a revision procedure. A mean follow-up of 37 months showed good long-term clinical results.ConclusionsIncidental durotomy is a common complication of spine surgery. All incidental durotomies must be repaired primarily. Dural tears that were immediately recognised and treated accordingly did not lead to any significant sequelae at a mean follow-up of 37 months. However, long-term follow-up studies will be needed to confirm this finding. The risks associated with dural tears and cerebrospinal fluid leaks are serious and should be discussed with any patients undergoing spine surgery.     

Tuberculous epididymo-orchitis. A review of 20 cases

Twenty cases of tuberculous epididymo-orchitis, occurring in Glasgow from 1970 to 1979, were reviewed. Five gave a history of previous tuberculosis and 10 showed no evidence of tuberculous infection in their urine. In half of the cases the diagnosis was made from histological material. Only five patients had normal intravenous urograms and five required subsequent major surgery for upper urinary tract disease. Tuberculosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a scrotal swelling even in the absence of a history of previous tuberculosis.     

Management of esophageal foreign bodies: a retrospective review of 400 cases.

OBJECTIVE: A retrospective study was conducted in 400 patients with esophageal foreign bodies (EFB) to assess characteristics of EFB and methods of treatment. METHODS: From 1962 through 1998, 400 patients with EFB were treated in our department on an emergency basis. There were 202 men (50%) and 198 women (49.6%) ranging in age from 1.5 to 95 years. The main symptoms patients complained of were difficulty in swallowing and pain. Detailed anamnesis, oropharynx and hypopharynx examination and finally radiological examination were the diagnostic tools. The location of the FB was in the cervical esophagus in 57% of cases, in the thoracic one in 26% and at the cardioesophageal junction in 17%. The most common objects found were bones, morsels, coins and needles. RESULTS: The treatment consisted of rigid esophagoscopy under general anesthesia in 343 (85.7%) of our cases. In 57 cases (14.3%) other means such as flexible esophagoscopy, Fogarty or Foley catheters and bougienage turned to be very useful. Only 12 patients (3%) were led to surgery because either extraction was impossible or perforation was present. No major complications occurred in the surgical group, whereas in the group of rigid esophagoscopy, there was one iatrogenous esophageal perforation that presented with empyema thoracis successfully treated. Finally, there was a case of an aortoesophageal fistula with mortal outcome perioperatively. CONCLUSIONS: (1) Esophagoscopy is a reliable method in the treatment of EFB impaction. (2) Alternative methods such as bougienage, etc., can be used only in selected cases with smooth foreign bodies. (3) Surgical treatment is unavoidable in cases of irretrievable EFB or esophageal perforation.     

Synovectomy in hemophilic arthropathy. A retrospective review of 17 cases

Seventeen patients with severe hemophilic synovitis were reviewed for an average of 59.6 months after surgical synovectomy to record radiographic progression of arthropathic changes, frequency of hemarthroses, and range of motion. There were 12 knees and five elbows in the study. Most joints showed some radiographic progression of the arthropathy. In aged patients, two knees progressed to end-stage disease. The frequency of hemarthroses was greatly decreased in all joints and especially in the elbow. Range of motion was preserved for most knees but was reduced significantly for the elbow. Three of five elbows had additional procedures. This factor may be responsible, in part, for lost motion in the elbow as compared to the relatively good results in the knee having had true synovectomy. While the incidence of bleeding is significantly decreased after surgical synovectomy, it is not necessarily associated with a cessation of the progression of joint pathology. Reduced incidence of bleeds following postsurgical synovectomy may serve to delay reconstructive operations until a later period in life. Eventually, the disease proceeds to end-stage arthropathy as joint function correspondingly decreases with age. Early surgical synovectomy for intractable chronic synovitis is recommended as a useful measure in the management of hemophilic arthropathy. Patients should be treated conservatively with therapeutic doses of factor concentrate replacement for a reasonable period of time in an effort to obviate surgical treatment.     

Laparoscopic splenectomy: A retrospective review of 75 cases

Laparoscopic splenectomy (LS) is considered a safe procedure for spleens of normal size as well as for larger spleens. Seventy-five consecutive patients underwent LS. Splenomegaly was defined by diameter >15 cm and by weight >400 g. Thirty patients had splenomegaly. The outcomes with spleens <15 cm and spleens >15 cm were compared. LS was successfully completed in 73 cases (97.4%). Spleens >15 cm required longer operating time and were associated with greater blood loss (P < 0.001), longer hospital stay, and more complications. Two patients needed blood transfusion. No overwhelming postsplenectomy infection was registered, and operative mortality was zero.     

手术后胰瘘的处理:附20例分析

目的　探讨手术后胰瘘的处理方法。方法　回顾性总结 2 0例胰瘘的治疗方法 ,其中 15例行非手术治疗 ,5例行手术治疗。结果　非手术治疗和手术治疗者全部治愈 ,效果满意。结论　大部分胰瘘可通过非手术治疗而愈。但当出现胰瘘管和主胰管相通或 5个月非手术治疗未愈的情况时 ,应改行手术治疗 ,胰瘘管空肠吻合是简单安全有较的方法     

Spinal cord compression caused by plasmocytomas. A retrospective review of 14 cases

Plasmocytoma is a plasma cell tumor, which occurs in various structures of the body. When the spinal column is involved, it may cause cord compression. In this study, 14 cases of spinal plasmocytomas are presented. Seven of them were male and seven female. The major complaints were pain in twelve cases, motor weakness in eight cases, and bladder disturbance in six cases. On neurological examination, twelve of the patients had impairment of extremity movements (85.7%), and eight had sensory losses (57.1%). Compression was more frequent in the thoracic region. There was a total block in nine and partial block in five cases. All patients underwent surgery. In thirteen cases laminectomy was performed, in one thoracotomy.In this report, complaints, clinical and laboratory findings, neurological examination, and histopathology of our cases are reviewed and the results discussed.     

Primary malignant melanoma of the oral cavity. A review of 20 cases

Twenty patients with primary malignant melanoma of the oral cavity have been described. They formed 3.9 percent of the total number of patients with malignant neoplasms of the oral cavity. The upper gingiva was most commonly affected. In this series, there were 14 male patients and 6 female patients who ranged in age from 26 to 80 years (average 58 years). The first symptom of melanoma was hyperpigmentation of the mucosa in 10 patients, tumor in 7, and pain in 3 edentulous patients with prostheses. Radical surgery was performed in 13 patients, followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy in 9 cases. Only 1 patient survived 9 years. The remaining 12 died 11 to 18 months after radical treatment. Palliative therapy was applied in three patients, two patients were treated symptomatically, and two patients refused treatment. Early detection of melanoma is an indication for radical treatment and may increase the survival rate of patients with this disease, which is still very low.     

Renal cell carcinoma: incidental diagnosis and natural history: review of 235 cases.

Two hundred thirty-five cases of histologically proved renal cell carcinoma (1976-1987) were reviewed to determine the impact of incidental tumor detection on the natural history of this cancer. One hundred sixty-eight patients (71.5%) presented with clinical signs and/or symptoms of renal pathology. Of these, 25 (18%) were investigated without consideration of renal cell carcinoma in the differential diagnosis. Sixty-seven cases (28.5%) were diagnosed as an incidental finding on diagnostic imaging for extrarenal symptomatology. Approximately 30 percent of patients were found to have metastatic disease on initial presentation regardless of incidental, or suspected discovery of these tumors. Stages A and B tumors were encountered with equal frequency in patient groups with both suspected and incidental diagnosis. Intravenous pyelography was the diagnostic modality used to detect the diagnosis in 83 percent of cases. While incidental detection of renal cell carcinoma has become more frequent than in previous years, it appears to have impacted minimally on the discovery of earlier stage tumors than those with presenting clinical symptoms. In contrast to prior reports, our data show that the natural history of renal cell carcinoma is not significantly altered by the incidental detection of tumor.     

The Cochrane review of bed rest for acute low back pain and sciatica

STUDY DESIGN: A systematic review within the Cochrane Collaboration Back Review Group. OBJECTIVES: To assess the effects of advice to rest in bed for patients with acute low back pain (LBP) or sciatica. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Low back pain is a common reason for consulting a health care provider, and advice on daily activities constitutes an important part in the primary care management of low back pain. METHODS: All randomized studies available in systematic searches (electronic databases, contact with authors, and reference lists) were included. Two reviewers independently selected trials for inclusion, assessed the validity of included trials, and extracted data. Investigators were contacted to obtain missing information. RESULTS: Nine trials with a total of 1435 patients were included. Four trials compared bed rest with advice to stay active, and the overall results were heterogeneous. Overall, results from two high-quality studies indicate no difference in pain intensity at the 3-week follow-up (standardized mean difference 0.0; 95% confidence interval [CI] -0.3, 0.2]), and a small difference in functional status in favor of staying active (weighted mean difference 3.2 [on a 0-100 scale] 95% CI 0.6, 5.8). In two high-quality trials no differences were reported in pain intensity between 2-3 days of bed rest and 7 days of bed rest. In another two high-quality trials, no differences were found between bed rest and exercises in pain intensity or functional status. CONCLUSION: Bed rest compared with advice to stay active at best has no effect, and at worst may have slightly harmful effects on LBP. There is not an important difference in the effects of bed rest compared with exercises in the treatment of acute low back pain, or 7 days compared with 2-3 days of bed rest in patients with low back pain of different durations with and without radiating pain.     

Anorectal suppurative disease. A retrospective review

A retrospective review of fifty-eight patients with anorectal suppurative disease is presented. Factors associated with morbidity and mortality are reviewed and a plan of treatment is suggested.     

The Maquet procedure. A retrospective review

A retrospective review of 20 patients (21 knees) treated by a Maquet tibial tubercle elevation between 1981 and 1985 was conducted with a minimum follow-up period of one year. The mean follow-up period was 29 months. Seventeen patients responded to a questionnaire designed to assess their subjective and functional result, with 12 patients also available for follow-up examination. There were eight complications. The final results from the procedure were not affected by the duration of preoperative symptoms, the number or type of previous surgical procedures, the magnitude of preoperative patellofemoral crepitation, or the degree of chondral surface degeneration. Patients under the age of 35 years and those with a history of patella dislocation were less satisfied with the operation than the other patients, but the difference was not statistically significant. Satisfactory results were observed most frequently in the male patients, those with a Q angle less than 20 degrees, and others in whom no form of internal fixation was used, and those patients with a follow-up period of less than three years. The use of internal fixation was associated with a striking increase in the incidence of complications.     

A 20-year retrospective review of surgically treated liposarcoma at the Cleveland Clinic

The records of 63 patients surgically treated for liposarcoma at the Cleveland Clinic between 1975 and 1995 were examined. Both metastatic disease (Enneking stage IIl) and an abdominal location were found to be poor prognosticants for survival. Age, gender, or tumor size, setting, or grade did not have any prognostic significance. The 5-year disease-specific survival for extremity tumors was 92% (95% confidence interval [CI]; range: 84%-100%), while general 5-year survival for extremity tumors was 66% (95% Cl; range: 48%-85%).     

Congenital coxa vara. A retrospective review

Forty-two cases of coxa vara were retrospectively reviewed. All 42 cases were classified based on their history and roentgenographic appearance. Twenty-two cases of true congenital coxa vara were identified and are the primary focus of this review. In this study we have introduced the Hilgenreiner epiphyseal (HE) angle as measured on standard AP roentgenograms of the hip. Retrospectively, this angle was measured to aid in deciding candidacy for surgery, as well as a means of determining the amount of surgical correction necessary to prevent a recurrence of the deformity. The indication for surgery should be an HE angle of greater than 60 degrees. HE angles of less than 60 degrees and greater than 45 degrees represent a "gray zone" and should be observed. HE angles of less than 45 degrees will generally correct spontaneously without surgery.     

非外源性损伤致颈椎间盘突出症9例临床分析

目的讨论无明显外来暴力作用下颈椎间盘突出症患者的发病机理,临床表现和治疗方法。方法分析临床治疗9例无明显外来暴力的颈椎间盘突出症患者,对其发病原因,临床表现,治疗方法和预后进行回顾性分析。结果在所有9例病人中,有6例患者颈椎间盘突出属于非外来暴力所致,多数是在不良姿势的基础上承受自身颈部活动力量引起,笔者称其为内源性致损力。患者表现为脊髓或神经根受压症状,所有患者均接受手术治疗,术后恢复良好。结论临床医生需要特别关注无外来暴力作用下的年轻颈椎间盘突出症患者。一旦出现临床症状,需积极进行手术治疗,预后良好。     

Biliary-enteric anastomosis malfunction: retrospective study of 20 surgical cases. Review of literature

INTRODUCTION: This retrospective study of 20 procedures for malfunction of a biliary-enteric anastomosis include 7 choledochoduodenal anastomosis (CD) and 13 choledocho- or hepaticojejunal anastomosis (HJ). METHODS AND RESULTS: The malfunctions were revealed by angiocholitis (N=16) jaundice (N=4) acute abdominal syndrome (N=1). Among the 7 CD, the median waiting period before reoperation has been 14 years, the procedures were justified by a biliary disorder in 5 cases (1stricture, 4 stones or food obstruction) or by a duodenal stricture (2 cases). The CD have been converted into HJ. The operative mortality was null, the morbidity rate was of 14%. A recurrence of angiocholite occurred in the long-term followed-up. About HJ, the waiting time before reoperations was 6 years and 9 months, the procedures were justified by anastomotic anastomosis stricture (7) calculi without stricture (4) Roux-en-Y limb anomalies (2). Two Roux-en-Y limbs have been lengthened. The anastomoses have been redone when necessary. The side-to-side HJ were converted in end-to-side HJ. The operative mortality was null, the morbidity rate of 8%. In the long term followed-up, 2 stenosis recurrence and 1 lithiase recurrence occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Malfunctions of biliodigestives anastomosis are revealed by angiocholitis that can lead to secondary biliary cirrhosis. The complications treatment of CD is easy and effective. The complications evolution of HJ depends of initial pathology.