Postoperative spinal cord herniation with pseudomeningocele in the cervical spine: a case report

Background context

Postoperative spinal cord herniation with pseudomeningocele is a rare disease, with only five cases reported before the present study.

Purpose

To describe the clinical features and radiologic findings of postoperative spinal cord herniation with pseudomeningocele.

Study design

Case report.

Methods

A case of a 51-year-old man who suffered from postoperative spinal cord herniation with pseudomeningocele was reported, and previous reports on this subject are reviewed.

Results

He had undergone excision of a spinal cord tumor in the cervical spine 10 years previously. He had progressive paraparesis and urinary disturbance 10 years later. The Computed Tomography Multi Planner Reconstruction myelogram showed dilation of the ventral subarachnoid space with left deviation of the spinal cord into the pseudomeningocele at C7. On observation at surgery, the spinal cord appeared displaced dorsally and herniated through the defect of the dorsal dura mater. The spinal cord was tightly adhesive around the dural defect. We released the adhesion of the spinal cord and the dural defect under the spinal cord, and the dural defect was repaired using an artificial dura mater.

Conclusions

The release of adhesion around dural defect and repair of dural defect under spinal cord monitoring resulted in a satisfactory neurologic recovery. Surgical repair of the dural defect with a dural substitute was necessary.     

Measuring of the compensation of a nerve root in a cervical schwannoma: a case report

A 64-year-old woman experienced numbness and hypesthesia of the right C6 dermatome a year ago. Enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of the cervical spine revealed an enhanced tumor continuing into the foramen from the spinal cord at the C5/6 intervertebral level. It was thought to be an Eden type 2 schwannoma. Right unilateral laminectomy was performed on C5. The tumor was present in the intradural area and arose from the right C6 anterior root. Compound muscle action potentials (CMAPs) from the deltoid, biceps, and extensor carpi radial (ECR) muscles were recorded following electric cervical nerve root stimulation (0.2ms duration, and 7mA intensity). CMAPs of large amplitude were obtained from the deltoid, biceps, and ECR muscles following C5 root stimulation, but those following C6 root stimulation were small. As a result it was determined that the right C6 root was not associated with the nerve distribution for these muscles, so it was resected en bloc with the tumor. No apparent loss of motor function was observed. Standard needle electromyography showed no denervation potentials or decrease in motor unit potentials in either the deltoid or biceps muscles. Intraoperative investigation for compensation of nerve root is clinically useful for determining whether resection of a nerve root results in muscle weakness after surgery for a cervical schwannoma.     

Chondrosarcoma of the cervical spine: A case report

Summary Among spinal bone tumors, chondrosarcoma occupies the third rank after myeloma and chordoma. Its location in the cervical spine is exceptional. The authors report a case of this lesion involving C7. This new case illustrates well the therapeutic and diagnostic difficulties of this tumor site at the cervico-thoracic level. The radiologic and histologic aspects do not differ from these of the other locations of this tumor. This insidious lesion is often voluminous at the time of discovery. This is why diagnostic delay does not always allow a wide carcinologically satisfactory excision. Despite the development of radiotherapy protocols, the only efficient treatment consists of total vertebrectomy. Surgical procedures are often carcinologically insufficient at the cervical level, which explains the poor prognosis of this tumor. However, results should improve with earlier diagnosis thanks to new radiologic imaging, especially with MRI. This will be then allow better surgical treatment.     

The anterior approach to anterior cervical meningiomas: review illustrated by a case

Summary Anterior cervical meningiomas have traditionally been operated on by a posterior approach. However, several reports of an anterior approach to anterior cervical meningiomas and other anterior cervical intradural lesions have documented important advantages: large bony window of access, extradural coagulation of anterior blood supply to meningiomas, visualization of the intradural pathology in front of the spinal cord, and absence of manipulation of the spinal cord during resection of the lesion.In this study, the literature about anterior approaches to anterior cervical meningiomas is systematically reviewed and the advantages and disadvantages of the technique are discussed. Furthermore, a case of complete resection of a large anterior cervical intradural extramedullary meningioma from C5–7 by a three-level corpectomy with progressive postoperative neurological recovery is illustrated, confirming the advantages of the anterior approach.     

Primary cervical amyloidoma: a case report and review of the literature

Background context

Primary solitary amyloidosis or amyloidoma is a disease process characterized by the focal deposition of amyloid in the absence of a plasma cell dyscrasia with normal serum protein measurements. Solitary amyloidomas affecting the vertebrae are very uncommon but typically affect the thoracic spine. Primary cervical amyloidosis is an exceedingly rare entity with exceptionally good prognosis, but requires diligence of the treating physician to establish the diagnosis and implement the appropriate surgical intervention.

Purpose

This study aimed to present a rare case of primary cervical amyloidosis with long-term follow-up and review the clinical presentation, characteristic imaging findings, diagnostic pathology, differential diagnosis, treatment algorithm, and prognosis of the disease entity. This case demonstrates the progressive resorption of the amyloidoma over time after surgical stabilization. Previous reported cases of primary cervical amyloidosis will also be reviewed.

Study design

This study is a report and review of the literature.

Methods

A 77-year-old woman presented with a several-week history of gradual progressive weakness in her upper and lower extremities. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a retro-odontoid nonenhancing soft-tissue mass, with erosive bony changes and severe mass effect on the upper cervical cord. The patient was taken to the operating room for decompression and posterior spinal stabilization.

Results

Intraoperative tissue specimens demonstrated amyloidosis and extensive systemic workup did not reveal any inflammatory processes, systemic amyloidosis, or plasma cell dyscrasia. Postoperatively, the patient regained full strength and ambulatory status. The patient remains asymptomatic at a 2-year follow-up. A postoperative follow-up magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated complete resorption of the residual amyloidoma.

Conclusions

Primary solitary amyloidosis is a rare form of amyloidosis that is important to differentiate given its excellent prognosis with surgical management. Treatment should include surgical decompression and spinal stabilization. This is the first case report to clinically and radiographically demonstrate the progressive resorption of a primary amyloidoma over time after surgical stabilization in the upper cervical spine. It is imperative that surgeons encountering such lesions maintain a high suspicion for this rare disease entity and advise their pathologists accordingly to establish the correct diagnosis.     

Repair of cervical esophageal perforation using longus colli muscle flap: a case report of a patient with cervical spinal cord injury

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Perforation of the esophagus after anterior cervical spine surgery is a rare, but well-recognized complication. The management of esophageal perforation is controversial, and either nonoperative or operative treatment can be selected. PURPOSE: Several reports have described the use of a sternocleidomastoid muscle flap for esophageal repair. In this case report, we describe a longus colli muscle flap as a substitute for a sternocleidomastoid flap in a patient with an esophageal perforation. STUDY DESIGN: Case report. PATIENT SAMPLE: A 20-year-old man sustained cervical spinal cord injury, on diving and hitting his head against the bottom of a pool. A C6 burst fracture was observed with posterior displacement of a bone fragment into the spinal canal. The patient exhibited complete paralysis below the C8 spinal segment level. METHODS: The patient underwent subtotal corpectomy of the sixth cervical vertebra with the iliac bone graft and augmented posterior spinal fixation (C5-7) with pedicle screws. After the primary operation, the patient showed signs of infection such as throat pain, a high fever, and osteolytic change of the grafted bone by cervical radiograph. A second operation was performed to replace the graft bone using fibula. On the day after the operation, food residue was confirmed in the suction drainage tube, suggesting esophagus perforation. A third operation was immediately performed to confirm and treat esophagus perforation, although apparent esophageal perforation could not be detected at the second operation. Because the erosion around the perforation of the esophageal posterior wall was extensive, a longus colli muscle flap transposition was accordingly performed into the interspace between the esophageal posterior wall and the grafted bone in addition to simple suturing of the perforation. RESULTS: Neither high fever nor pharyngeal pain has recurred at latest follow-up, 5 years after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report concerning the use of a longus colli muscle flap for esophageal perforation after anterior cervical spine surgery.     

Early recurrent meningioma with malignant transformation: case report

It has been reported that the incidence of malignant transformation of meningioma is 10 to 38%. However, it is rare for a benign meningioma to recur with malignant transformation shortly after surgery. We reported a case of recurrent meningioma with malignant transformation 4 months after the initial surgery. A 64-year-old female was admitted for meningioma in the right parietal convexity on July 1, 1999. The tumor was totally resected on August 31st. There were no surgically nor histologically detected malignancies. The tumor was diagnosed as a psammomatous meningioma, but there was a co-exsisting transitional meningioma-like area. There were no postoperative neurological deficits, but, left hemiparesis and numbness on the left side of the body appeared around the end of December, and the patient was re-hospitalized on January 11, 2000. The CT scan and MRI showed that a cystic tumor had formed at the site of the previous tumor. Using Gd-DTPA, this new tumor showed ring enhancement. The tumor was extirpated again on February 3, 2000. It was histologically diagnosed as a malignant transformation of the meningioma. The Patient died of tumor recurrence on December 17, 2000. We speculated that the mechanism of recurrence as follows: Tumor cells with the possibility of becoming malignant, remained in the brain after the initial surgery. Postoperatively, these cells underwent malignant transformation and the tumor recurred.     

Dumbbell-shaped chondrosarcoma that primarily developed in the cervical spine: a case report

There have been few reports describing dumbbell chondrosarcomas that primarily developed in the cervical spine; and among these cases even fewer can easily be diagnosed as chondrosarcoma. We report a 58-year-old man who complained of right cervical pain and swallowing difficulty without a particularly apparent cause. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed radiography (CT) suggested a diagnosis of dumbbell tumor. ^99mTc HMDP bone scintigraphy and ²⁰¹Tl scintigraphy were negative, and surgery was performed assuming the presence of a neurogenic tumor. Intraoperative histopathological examination showed similar results. The postoperative histopathological diagnosis, however, was chondrosarcoma (grade II). Retrospective discussion regarding the diagnosis of the patient revealed that gadolinium-enhanced MRI was not appropriate for a precise diagnosis and that CT was more effective. We have thus experienced a patient with a rare dumbbell chondrosarcoma that primarily developed in the cervical spine for which a preoperative diagnosis was difficult.     

Primary Rhabdoid Tumor of the Gallbladder: Report of a Case

A 46-year-old man was operated on for cholelithiasis with chronic cholecystitis. On gross inspection of the resected gallbladder, a slight thickening in the body wall, in an area measuring about 1 × 0.5 cm, was noted. On light microscopic and immunohistochemical examinations, the lesion was diagnosed to be a rhabdoid tumor. After a thorough review of the literature we failed to find any reference to such a lesion in the gallbladder. This is the first known case report of a rhabdoid tumor of the gallbladder. Received: August 6, 2001 / Accepted: January 8, 2002 RID="*" ID="*" Reprint requests to: R. Gondal     

Extradural spinal meningioma: case report

Objectives

We report a case of purely extradural spinal meningioma and discuss the potential pitfalls in differential diagnosis.

Background

Spinal meningiomas account for 20–30% of all spinal neoplasms. Epidural meningiomas are infrequent intraspinal tumors that can be easily confused with malignant neoplasms or spinal schwannomas.

Case

A 62-year-old man with a previous history of malignant disease presented with back pain and weakness of the lower limbs. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a well-enhanced T4 intraspinal lesion. The intraoperative histological examination showed a meningioma (confirmed by postoperative examination). Opening the dura mater confirmed the purely epidural location of the lesion. The postoperative course was uneventful with no recurrence 12 months after surgery.

Conclusion

Purely extradural spinal meningiomas can mimic metastatic tumors or schwannomas. Intraoperative histology is mandatory for optimal surgical decision making.     

Ectopic gastric mucosa in the cervical esophagus presenting as a recurrent neck abscess: a case report

We report a unique case of ectopic gastric mucosa (EGM) in the cervical esophagus. The patient presented with a recurrent cervical abscess communicating through a fistula with the EGM. Surgical treatment consisted of complete excision. The postoperative course was complicated by a breach in the hypopharynx, which was treated conservatively, and a stenosis of the esophagus requiring balloon dilation.     

Intracranial/Extracranial meningioma arising in the hypoglossal canal: case report.

A case of a patient with a posterior fossa meningioma extending through the hypoglossal canal to the cervical region as described in this article has not been previously described in the literature. Investigations and surgical management are outlined and pathological classifications are discussed. A literature review including recent reports of extracranial meningiomas is presented. Extracranial meningiomas are exceedingly rare and a high index of suspicion is necessary to make the diagnosis.     

Isolated subacute tuberculous spinal epidural abscess of the cervical spine: a brief report of a special case

A tuberculous spinal epidural abscess is seen rarely as a late complication of Pott’s disease or in immunocompromised patients. Such abscesses in isolation are rare indeed and very uncommon in the developed and developing world. We report a patient with an isolated subacute tuberculous spinal epidural abscess without disc or vertebral involvement and no primary focus or risk factors associated with the development of spinal tuberculosis.     

Cervical tuberculosis associated with cervical pain and neurologic deficit: a case report and literature review

Background contextIsolated tuberculosis (TB) of posterior elements of the cervical spine is extremely rare. Only few cases are reported in literature, but none describe isolated spinous process and laminae involvement without TB in any other part of the body.PurposeTo report a case of isolated TB involvement of the spinous process and right laminae of C2 combined with atlantoaxial luxation.Study designA case report of isolated spinous process and right laminae TB of C2 combined with atlantoaxial luxation.Patient sampleA 20-year-old male farmer complained about a 2-month history of aggravating neck pain, a 1-month history of a slowly growing lump at the back of the neck, and numbness and weakness of the right arm that had gradually progressed to involve all the limbs for 2 weeks before presentation.Outcome measuresX-ray and computed tomography of cervical spine and Frankel grading of neural function are included to evaluate the therapeutic efficiency.MethodsComputed tomography scans showed flake-like bony destruction located in the spinous process and at the right laminae of C2. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a large swelling posterior to C2 and atlantoaxial luxation-induced distinct compression of the spinal cord. The patient underwent 2 weeks of skull traction and quadruple anti-TB treatment before surgery.ResultsThe patient underwent surgical treatment that included posterior radical debridement, decompression, internal fixation with a screw-rod system from C1 to C4, autologous bone grafting, and fusion. The patient gained normal neural function and returned to work 1 year after surgery.ConclusionsTuberculosis of the posterior elements of the upper cervical spine is very rare and potentially dangerous. Computed tomography and MRI are very useful and important for correct diagnosis. Prompt medical and surgical treatment may avert potential catastrophic event in these cases.     

Intracranial haemorrhage from a meningioma in a patient receiving aspirin prophylaxis: a case report

Summary A case of acute subdural haematoma originating spontaneously from an angiomatous meningioma in a patient receiving prophylactic aspirin therapy is presented. To the best of our knowledge no comparable case and no discussion of possible complications of aspirin prophylaxis in patients with brain tumours have been published. Possible reasons and clinical significance of this complication are discussed. This observation questions the suitability of aspirin as prophylaxis for vascular disease in patients with meningiomas.     

AO纯钛带锁钢板在颈椎前路固定的初步报告

报告了对１５例颈椎疾患患者行颈前路减压植骨融合并采用ＡＯ颈椎纯钛带锁钢板固定。经６个月～８．２个月的随访，所有病例植骨均完全愈合，无一例发生钢板螺钉松动等并发症。颈椎带锁钢板可使固定节段有高度的内在稳定性，并具有操作简便、安全、并发症少、内固定材料生物相容性良好、无磁性等优点，尤其适用于颈椎外伤、肿瘤及退行性变的治疗。