Management of occult intrasacral meningocele associated with lumbar disc prolapse

Occult intrasacral meningocele is an uncommon condition that may produce chronic low back pain, sciatica, and bladder dysfunction. We describe a patient suffering from low back pain and radicular symptoms, in whom multimodality radiological examinations showed an intrasacral meningocele and a lumbar disc prolapse. The protuded disc was considered to be the cause of the clinical symptoms in this patient rather than the meningocele. Surgical removal of the protuded disc was performed without interference with the meningocele. Postoperatively there was recovery of the preoperative deficits. Clinical and radiographic findings in occult intrasacral meningocele are discussed and criteria for differential diagnosis with disc prolapse are stressed.     

Office management of low back pain

Low back pain, with or without sciatica, is a very common medical problem. Since a great majority of patients can be successfully treated with nonoperative methods, office management of these patients is a very important issue for all clinicians. Patients with low back pain can be divided into three major groups: 1) the first group with acute (initial onset or very occasional recurrent) symptoms, 2) the second group with chronic (frequent intermittent recurrent or persistent) symptoms and 3) the third group with resistant symptoms. For the first group with acute symptoms, establishment of a specific diagnosis is rarely necessary. An active nonoperative treatment program (brief rest, protection, physical therapy modalities, medication, exercises, and reconditioning) provides a high rate (nearly 90 to 95 per cent) of success (return to normal activities and work) within 8 to 12 weeks. For the second group, with chronic symptoms, establishment of a specific diagnosis and a comprehensive and specific history are essential. Diagnostic procedures for specific pathologic conditions are outlined. A clear and specific treatment goal should be established and communicated to all the parties involved. Nonoperative treatment for this group includes back school, postural exercises, bracing, exercises for strength and endurance, work-site modification, vocational counseling, and pain management. For the third group with resistant symptoms, the role of the orthopedic or neurosurgeon is as a consultant to a pain management team for evaluation and treatment of missed diagnosis or complications of previous treatments.     

Referral strategies for early diagnosis of axial spondyloarthritis

The spectrum of HLA-B27-associated inflammatory spine diseases is referred to as axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). AxSpA encompasses established ankylosing spondylitis (AS) but also nonradiographic axSpA, and can be classified according to the Assessment of SpondyloArthritis international Society classification criteria for axSpA. Specific and effective therapy for axSpA includes education, physiotherapy, NSAIDs and biologic agents, as appropriate. Patients with axSpA, however, are often diagnosed late in the course of the disease. As specific therapy is available, the effective identification of those individuals who are likely to have axSpA among patients with chronic back pain in primary care and their subsequent referral to a rheumatologist for establishing a correct diagnosis is worth pursuing. Candidate referral parameters that can easily be applied to patients with chronic back pain and age at onset ≤ 45 years (the target population) include inflammatory back pain (IBP) and positivity for HLA-B27. Following diagnostic work-up by a rheumatologist, these referral parameters, either alone or in combination, have led to the diagnosis of as many as 33-45% of patients within this target population with axSpA, 41-62% of whom had undiagnosed AS. Thus, educating primary care physicians on the value of IBP and HLA-B27 testing within this target population, and referral to a rheumatologist if one of these parameters is positive, is a promising approach to reduce the long delay in diagnosing patients with axSpA.     

Algorithm for salvage surgery of the lumbar spine

An explicit and effective plan for evaluation of the failed back allows the diagnosis of nonorthopedic causes for low back pain, whether they be medical or psychosocial in nature. This plan includes the prompt recognition and treatment of those problems which are surgically remediable, such as the recurrent disk herniation or spinal stenosis. Finally, this plan will accurately define those patients for whom there is no cure at the present time, such as those with arachnoiditis and those with low back pain without a definable cause. Careful adherence to this plan will prevent the physician from advising these unfortunate patients who already suffered one unsuccessful operation from undergoing yet another futile exercise and yet not exclude those who will benefit from operative intervention.     

Centralization phenomenon as a prognostic factor for chronic low back pain and disability

STUDY DESIGN: Two hundred twenty-three consecutive adults with acute low back pain with or without referred spinal symptoms were treated conservatively and followed prospectively for 1 year. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the predictive value of centralization phenomenon (CP) with psychosocial variables previously identified as important risk factors for patients with acute onset of nonserious or nonspecific low back pain who subsequently develop chronic pain or disability. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Psychosocial factors have been shown to be predictors of chronic disability, but measures from physical examination rarely predict chronic behavior. The authors of the present study investigated whether dynamic assessment of changes in clinical measures during treatment could be used to classify patients and predict occurrence of chronic pain or disability. METHODS: Patients with acute symptoms and no history of surgery were treated by five physical therapists trained in McKenzie evaluation/treatment methods. Seventy-three percent were receiving workers' compensation benefits. At initial evaluation and discharge, 23 independent variables were assessed representing psychosocial, clinical, and demographic factors. Pain location changes to repeated trunk movements were assessed at every visit. Patients were placed in two groups: 1) those with pain that did not centralize and 2) those who completely centralized or demonstrated partial reduction of pain location with time. Treatment was individualized and based on McKenzie methods. Patients were contacted at 12 months after discharge, and dependent variables of pain intensity, return to work status, sick leave at work, activity interference at home, and continued use of health care were assessed. RESULTS: Nine independent variables influenced pain symptoms or disability. Pain pattern classification (noncentralization) and leg pain at intake were the strongest predictive variables of chronicity. CONCLUSION: Dynamic assessment of change in anatomic pain location during treatment and leg pain at intake were predictors of developing chronic pain and disability.     

The current approach to the medical diagnosis of low back pain.

A small number of patients who present with low back pain will have an underlying medical disorder as the source of their pain. Patients who fail to respond to conservative management with controlled physical activity and nonnarcotic analgesics should have a thorough re-evaluation to detect possible sources of nonmechanical pain. Symptoms of fever, weight loss, recumbency pain, morning stiffness, acute severe pain, or colicky back pain represent specific entry points into the algorithm for diagnosis of back pain from underlying systemic illnesses. These patients will generally require a plain roentgenographic examination with subsequent scintography, MRI, CT, laboratory work, and biopsy as indicated by any positive findings during the diagnostic work-up. Therapy for individuals with nonmechanical low back pain is directed at the specific medical disorder that is the cause of their symptoms.     

Low back pain

Many people suffer from low back pain in the course of their life, of whom not all seek health care. In the majority of patients who seek care and refrain from work, the problem of pain resolves within a few weeks. It is reason that chronic pain syndromes such as chronic back pain are responsible for enormous costs for health care and society. Also, many diagnostics procedures and durability of rehabilitation makes low back pain as a very expensive disease. All of that are good reasons to make algorithm for diagnostic and treatment of low back pain in Croatian Society for Rheumatology.     

Provocative discography in volunteer subjects with mild persistent low back pain.

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Whether discographic injections would be positive in subjects with benign persistent "backache" who are not seeking treatment is unknown. This information is important, because benign backache undoubtedly co-exists in patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP) illness that is not discogenicin origin. If these subjects had a high rate of positive discography, the high background incidence of common backache would allow many positive tests in patients in whom discogenic processes were unrelated to their severe CLBP illness. Conversely, if subjects with benign low back pain rarely if ever had significant concordant pain reproduction on disc injections, the basic tenet of discographic diagnosis would be strengthened. PURPOSE: To compare, using a strict experimental design, the relative pain and concordancy response to provocative discography in subjects with clinically insignificant "backache" and clinical subjects with CLBP illness considering surgical treatment. STUDY DESIGN: Comparison of experimental disc injections in subjects with persistent mild backache and those with chronic low back pain (CLBP) illness. PATIENT SAMPLE: Twenty-five subjects with mild persistent low back pain (LBP) were recruited for an experimental discography study. Subjects were recruited from a clinical study of patients having had cervical spine surgery. Inclusion criteria required that subjects not be receiving or seeking medical treatment for LBP, be taking no medications for backache, have no activity restrictions because of LBP, and have normal psychometric scores. To more closely approximate the pain behavior in CLBP illness, 50% (12) of the "backache" group were recruited with a chronic painful condition (neck/shoulder) unrelated to the low back. CLBP subjects, patients coming to discography for consideration of surgical treatment, were used as control subjects. OUTCOME MEASURES: Results of discography were determined using the criteria of Walsh et al.: pain response of 3 or greater, two or more pain behaviors, a negative "control" discographic injection, and a similar or exact concordancy rating. METHODS: Discography was performed on experimental subjects and control patients. Experienced raters, who were blinded to control versus experimental status of the subjects, scored the magnetic resonance image, discogram, psychometric tests and discography videotapes of the subjects' pain behavior. RESULTS: Thirteen of 25 volunteer subjects had pain rated as "bad" or worse with disc injection. There were 12 painful and fully concordant disc injections in 9 of these 25 "backache" subjects (36%). These injections met all the Walsh et al. criteria for a positive diagnosis of discogenic pain. All positive discs had annular disruption to or through the outer annulus. Of the 9 subjects with positive discograms, 3 had no chronic pain states and 6 did. All subjects with positive injections had negative control discs. In comparison, in 52 subjects with CLBP illness 38 (73%) had at least one positive disc injection. CONCLUSIONS: In a group of volunteer subjects with persistent "backache," 36% were found to have significant pain on disc injection, which is reported to be concordant with their usual pain. The presence of positive concordant pain responses and negative control discs in 33% of subjects without CLBP illness seriously challenges the specificity of provocative discography in identifying a clinically relevant spinal pathology.     

Slow onset cauda equina syndrome: a case report

Cauda equina syndrome (CES) is characterized by low back pain, sciatica, lower limb motor weakness and sensory deficits, saddle anaesthesia, bowel and bladder dysfunction and occasionally paraplegia. The syndrome is classified according to onset: rapid or slow. Rapid onset CES, because of its characteristic presentation is easily recognized. The slow, chronic progression and varying presenting signs and symptoms of slow onset CES often mimic mechanical low back pain and makes the diagnosis difficult in its early stages. The case of a 23-year-old female with slow onset cauda equina is presented to illustrate this. A discussion of lumbar spine anatomy as it relates to the clinical presentation of cauda equina syndrome and the influence of associated degenerative factors follows. The most common presenting signs and symptoms are reviewed with special emphasis on those which can help diagnose CES in its early stages. Patients prognosis following surgical decompression is highlighted.     

Prostatitis-like symptoms: one year later

OBJECTIVES: To re-survey (after 1 year) men identified in 1999 as having perineal and/or ejaculatory pain/discomfort severe enough to suggest a clinical diagnosis of chronic prostatitis (using the National Institutes of Health-Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index, NIH-CPSI), and to compare them with an age-matched population of men who had no prostatitis-like symptoms in the initial survey, to determine the effect of time on specific symptoms associated with the diagnosis of chronic prostatitis. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A comprehensive questionnaire incorporating the pain and voiding domains of the NIH-CPSI, and data on demographics, medical history, socio-economic status, health-seeking behaviour and a quality of life assessment, was sent to 67 men who had reported prostatitis-like symptoms in the 1999 survey, and to 202 age-matched controls (1 : 3) who reported no prostatitis-like symptoms in the same survey. RESULTS: Forty men (60%) with previous prostatitis-like symptoms, i.e. a mean (sd) 1999 NIH-CPSI pain score of 8.8 (0.4), and 119 (59%) of the control population completed and returned the survey. There was no difference in the 1999 demographics (P = 0.82) or NIH-CPSI pain score (P = 0.49) between patients who returned the recent questionnaire and those who could not be located or declined to complete the survey. Fifteen men (38%) identified with prostatitis in 1999 did not report similar symptoms in 2000. The initial mean NIH-CPSI pain score (0-21) for the men who had resolution of their prostatitis-like symptoms was 7.5 (0.6); 1 year later it was 0.73 (0.3). Their mean age was 51.1 (3.9) years and mean duration of symptoms 1.1 (0.3) years. Those with persistent symptoms had an initial NIH-CPSI pain score of 9.6 (0.5); 1 year later it was 8.68 (0.4), at mean age of 51.4 (2.5) years and duration of symptoms 2.2 (0.3) years. Four men (3%) in the control group who had no symptoms in 1999 reported prostatitis-like symptoms in 2000; these men had a mean age of 52.5 (5.9) and NIH-CPSI pain score of 7.0 (0.9). CONCLUSION: About a third of men reporting prostatitis-like symptoms in the general population had resolution of their symptoms (usually those with a shorter duration and less severe symptoms) 1 year later. The severity of symptoms of men with persistent chronic prostatitis remained relatively unchanged over the year.     

PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN

Background: Patients with chronic low back pain present physicians with diagnostic and therapeutic problems. Physical treatments tend to have low success rates and it is postulated that this may be because low back pain can be a manifestation of abnormal illness behaviour. Methods: A structured prospective study determined the prevalence of somatization in a sample of 131 adult patients with chronic low back pain using the Illness Behaviour Questionnaire (IBQ) and the Modified Somatic Perception Questionnaire (MSPQ). The scores on these psychological questionnaires were compared with the blind interpretation of pain distribution drawings and with the results of a mechanical classification of the patient's symptoms and signs. Results: Fifty-four per cent of patients had four or more (out of five) abnormal illness indicators. The MSPQ values for the group were significantly above the control values in the literature. Thirty-two per cent of pain diagrams were thought to be incompatible with an organic cause when assessed by an orthopaedic surgeon and sixty-two per cent when assessed by a psychiatrist. Conclusions: Psychosocial factors are dominant in the presentation of chronic low back pain in adults and the disorder is not primarily a musculoskeletal one.     

Pyogenic Spondylitis

During the period 1972-1974 10 patients suffering from pyogenic spondylitis have been treated at the Central Hospital of Middle Finland. Three of the patients had become acutely ill with septic fever and back pain. In the remaining cases the onset of the disease was insidious. Fever, weight loss and fatigue were the general symptoms. Percussion revealed local tenderness at the site of infection in all patients. Two patients showed neurological signs. The ESR was elevated in all cases and alkaline phosphatase was elevated in six patients. Blood culture was positive in those three patients who had become acutely ill. Narrowing of the intervertebral space was observed in all patients. Scanning with Tc⁹⁹ was performed in nine patients, seven of whom were at an early stage of the disease; a significant uptake was recorded in five of these cases. The average interval between the onset of symptoms and the diagnosis was 3 months, range 1 to 5 months. The treatment consisted of bed rest and antibiotics. All the patients recovered and became symptom-free.     

Chronic expanding hematoma in the psoas muscle

We report an unusual case of chronic expanding hematoma in the psoas muscle. A 53-year-old man was admitted for evaluation of a mass shadow in the left lower lung field on chest X-rays. He had also been suffering from dull left back pain. A computed tomography scan showed a cystic lesion with a rim enhancement in the left retroperitoneal space. Mixed signal intensity in a mosaic pattern was seen on a T2-weighted magnetic resonance image. We could not rule out a suspicion of a neoplastic intratumoral hemorrhage. Due to increased pain and the definite diagnosis, surgery was performed. Histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of chronic expanding hematoma. The expansion process is thought to be due to the irritant effects of blood and its breakdown products, which cause repeated exudation and bleeding from capillaries in the granulation tissues.     

Relationship between life events and personality in psychiatric disorder

In order to investigate any relationship between personality and the occurence of stressful life events. 7.5 outpatients with depressive and anxiety disorders had life events rated for a nine-month period and assessments made of premorbid personality using a recently devised instrument. In comparisons made of events occurring beofre the onset of illness, subjects with personality disorders had significantly more undesirable life events than subjects with non-disordered personality. After the development of illness subjects with personality disorders had a significant excess of events which were classed as primarily self-generated rather than chance occurrences. Analysis by personality type revealed the presence of sociopathic traits to be the most important determinant of life events, these traits significantly correlating with both the total rate of life events and the rate of undesirable events in both studied periods. The findings have implications for clinicians and also for research workers who have not usually considered the confounding effect of personality when making life-events comparisons.     

Reflex sympathetic dystrophy affecting the knee

Thirty-six patients with reflex sympathetic dystrophy primarily affecting the knee were reviewed. Injuries or operation about the patellofemoral joint triggered its onset in 64% of patients. Co-existent mechanical derangement of the knee was present in 64% of patients. Those patients who underwent sympathetic blockade or sympathectomy within one year of onset of symptoms had significantly better pain and function scores than those in whom intervention was later. Early diagnosis remains the key to successful management. Surgery for co-existent mechanical derangement in the affected knee should not be performed until the syndrome is controlled.     

The use of bone scan to investigate back pain in children and adolescents

Children with back pain frequently undergo detailed investigation because of the perception that a high percentage will have a treatable spinal condition. The purposes of this study was (i) to determine the percentage of children with disabling back pain presenting to our institution who had a diagnosis (i.e., to explain their back pain), (ii) to evaluate the clinical markers that should alert clinicians to underlying pathology, (iii) and to determine the prognosis of children with back pain and no specific diagnosis. This study was a retrospective analysis of consecutive children undergoing single-photon emission computed tomography for a primary complaint of back pain. Data collection included chart review, radiographic analysis, and clinical follow-up with the Roland and Morris scale for pain and disability. Two hundred and seventeen patients with an average age of 13 years (range, 2.7-17.7) were reviewed on average 4.4 years after presentation (range, 1.1-7.2 years). One hundred and seventy children (78.3%) had no specific diagnosis to explain their back pain, 15 children (6.9%) had spondylosis, 10 children (4.6%) had tumor, and the remaining 22 children (10.1%) had various diagnoses including infection, Scheuermann's kyphosis, herniated disc, kidney disease, facet arthritis, degenerative disc disease, congenital anomalies, and tethered cord. Factors associated with positive diagnoses were constant pain and male gender. Night pain, constant pain, and duration of symptoms <3 months were associated with the diagnosis of a tumor. Although the majority of children presenting with persistent back pain had no demonstrable cause, of 132 contactable patients 94 (71%) had persisting pain at the time of clinical follow-up. In conclusion, the majority of children with disabling back pain has no demonstrable cause and the majority will continue to have pain years after initial presentation.     

Acute onset-low back pain and hip pain secondary to metastatic prostate cancer: a case report

Prostatic cancer is the second most common cancer among North American men and the second leading cause of cancer deaths. It may be incidental or contribute to the cause of mechanical back pain. With such high mortality associated with metastasis, early detection is essential for appropriate medical management. Chiropractors are often consulted for back pain of mechanical origin and are in a position to detect conditions in which serious organic pathology may contribute to, or mimic benign musculoskeletal back pain. Patient history and clinical examination coupled with imaging may greatly increase the index of suspicion of prostatic involvement. Outlined is a case where imaging and examination confirmed a diagnosis of organic disease in an individual who opted for chiropractic care for his back pain, but for whom immediate medical management was essential.     

Acute pancreatitis presenting as back pain: a case report

A man with acute back pain presented to a chiropractic clinic with clinical symptoms and signs suggesting abdominal disease rather than mechanical spine pain. He was referred to a local hospital emergency where a diagnosis of acute pancreatitis secondary to chronic cholecystitis was made. The diagnostic images are compared to normal studies. The characteristic clinical examination findings found with back pain due to acute pancreatitis are compared to those typically seen with mechanical spine pain.     

Das chronisch viszerale Ischämiesyndrom

Chronic visceral ischemia syndrome is a serious illness. A total of 95% of cases have an arteriosclerotic origin. Thus, the etiological factors associated with arteriosclerosis dominate. Patients usually have a long history of illness with the cause of abdominal pain frequently being misdiagnosed for years. The time between the development of the initial symptoms and a diagnosis has a mean of 35 months. Symptoms involve abdominal pain – classically postprandial pain – weight loss and paraumbilical vascular murmur. These problems usually occur only after two of the three unpaired visceral branches show a stenosis or blockage, although the collateral blockage of several vessels has been observed without clinical symptoms. Although rare in occurrence, mesenteric ischemia can have devastating consequences if recognition and treatment are delayed. Early suspicion, diagnostic work-up and reconstructive surgery require a high degree of differential diagnosis for chronic visceral ischemia in the evaluation of acute and chronic abdominal pain.     

Discography. a review.

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Discography is used today as the basis of the diagnosis of discogenic back and neck pain. As such, it plays a pivotal role in the formulation of treatment plans for patients complaining of chronic axial spine pain. PURPOSE: A brief history of discography is described here, followed by a discussion of the current uses of discography, the technique involved, and recent studies questioning its validity. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING: A selective review of discography articles from peer-reviewed literature from 1967 to 2000 is provided. We included articles analyzing the validity of discography as well as those concerning its proper use, technique, and complications. METHODS: Articles relevant to the subject of discography were systematically reviewed for recommendations regarding technique, the interpretation of results, and conclusions regarding its validity. RESULTS: The specificity of discography is dramatically affected by the characteristics of the patient examined. In a patient with chronic pain states and psychiatric risk factors, the specificity was determined to be at most 20%. In healthy patients with no chronic pain states and a normal psychiatric profile, the specificity was found to be at most 90%. The ability of a patient to determine reliably the concordance of pain provoked during discography is poor. We could find no data addressing the sensitivity of the study. CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians who use discography to determine treatment pathways for their patients need to critically examine the validity of the test. Recent studies examining the specificity of discography have led us to proceed much more cautiously in interpreting the results of discography.