Endoscopic endonasal odontoidectomy for basilar invagination in children: Literature review and case report

BackgroundBasilar invagination (BI) is an uncommon clinical condition of the craniocervical junction (CCJ). Surgical management depends on 2 factors: mobility and reducibility; in cases of irreducible dislocation or persistent compression, odontoidectomy should be considered.Case discussionWe present the case of a 13-year-old boy with severe BI, causing cervical myelopathy with progressive gait disorder. The patient underwent cervical traction followed by posterior decompression and occipitocervical fusion. Postoperatively, symptoms initially improved, until new neurological deterioraton set in 4 months later. Follow-up neuroimaging showed compression of the bulbo-medullary junction, with severe brainstem kinking and appearance of a cervical syrinx. Secondary surgery via an endoscopic endonasal approach (EEA) was deemed necessary to relieve the compression. Postoperative course was unremarkable, with steady clinical improvement and a return to independent activities of daily living within 6 months.Literature reviewA systematic literature review indicated that EEA conserves the palate and oropharynx mucosae, thus causing less airway and swallowing complications than the transoral approach.ConclusionIn selected cases with persistent anterior compression, odontoidectomy on EEA is a safe, effective and valid alternative for managing CCJ pathology.     

Septic arthritis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

There is an increasing number of rheumatoid patients who get septic arthritis. Chronic use of steroids is one of the important predisposing factors. The clinical picture of septic arthritis is different in immunocompromised patients like patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The diagnosis and management are discussed in this review article.     

A neurosurgical view of anatomical evaluation of anterior C1–C2 for safer transoral odontoidectomy

An anatomical study for evaluation of anterior C1–C2. To provide essential anatomic data for safer transoral odontoidectomy. The surface dimensions of the atlas vertebra and the transoral approach for odontoidectomy have been described in detail. Anterior arcus of C1 must be drilled out to reach odontoid process for transoral odontoidectomy. The thickness of anterior ring of C1 has not been studied before. Sixty, dried adult atlas and 60 axis vertebrae and ten cadaveric craniocervical specimens were measured for the following: (1) bony drilling depth (BDD), the distance from the anterior wall of anterior ring of C1 to anterior wall of odontoid; (2) minimum drilling diameter (MDD), distance of minimum C1 anterior ring removal for odontoid resection on horizontal plane; (3) maximum bony drilling diameter (MBDD), distance of maximum C1 anterior ring removal for odontoid resection on horizontal plane. Lateral border of this diameter is limited by medial borders of the lateral mass; (4) the widest odontoid diameters (WOD) on coronal sections were measured. On 60 atlas and axis vertebrae, the BDD was 7.0 ± 1.2 mm on dry bones, the distance between the medial borders of the lateral mass (MBDD) was 16.1 ± 1.5 mm, and the WOD on coronal sections (WOD) was 9.8 ± 0.8 mm. On cadavers, the distance between the two edges of C1 anterior ring removal for odontoid resection (MDD) was 10.8 ± 1.1 mm and the WOD on coronal sections (WOD) was 10.1 ± 1.4 mm. An odontoid surgery through transoral approach is safe and feasible. A quantitative understanding of the anterior anatomy of C-1 and C-2 is necessary when considering transoral odontoid resection. In this study the authors define safe zones for anterior atlas and axis.     

老年类风湿关节炎患者发生骨质疏松的危险因素分析

目的调查老年类风湿关节炎(RA)患者骨质疏松(OP)的发生情况并分析其危险因素,为有效预防和干预提供依据。方法选取2012年1月至2017年9月我院收治的老年RA患者684例,根据其发生OP的情况分为OP组(383例)和非OP组(301例),记录患者一般资料及OP的相关因素。应用二分类非条件Logistic回归分析老年RA患者发生OP的危险因素。结果在684例老年RA患者中383例发生OP,发生率高达56.0%。随着年龄的增长,男、女性骨质疏松症患病率均明显增加,差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。OP组的腰椎(-2.98±0.94 vs-0.85±0.62)、股骨颈(-2.53±0.76 vs-0.82±0.57)、全髋(-1.95±0.81 vs-0.29±0.24)骨密度T值均明显低于非OP组(P0.05)。二分类非条件Logistic回归分析显示,年龄[OR=1.805(95%CI:1.613~2.274)]、病程[OR=1.603(95%CI:1.431~1.968)]、ESR[OR=1.583(95%CI:1.286~1.815)]、DAS28评分[OR=1.729(95%CI:1.504~2.063)]是老年RA患者发生OP的独立危险因素,而BMI[OR=0.752(95%CI:0.674~0.926)]、摄入钙[OR=0.584(95%CI:0.318~0.720)]、ALB[OR=0.803(95%CI:0.725~0.993)]、25(OH)D[OR=0.713(95%CI:0.620~0.857)]可能是OP保护因素。结论老年RA患者OP的发生率较高,影响其发生的危险因素较多,应做到早预防、早发现,以减少或延缓OP的发生。     

老年类风湿性关节炎治疗进展

老年类风湿性关节炎患者在选择NSAIDs药物时,需评估老年患者的危险因素。目前研究热点多集中于生物制剂治疗,老年患者使用生物制剂时应更多关注其感染的风险。传统中医药方案疗效确切,尤以雷公藤为突出,应开展大型关于中西医治疗老年类风湿性关节炎临床试验精确用药策略。老年患者更易合并心血管疾病、间质性肺病等共存病,治疗共存病同时也可控制类风湿本身疾病活动。老年类风湿性关节炎与其他年龄发病类风湿性关节炎一致,也需要"达标治疗",以疾病完全缓解及降低疾病活动度为目标,但由于老年类风湿性关节炎的发病及临床特点及治疗策略与其他年龄发病类风湿性关节炎不同,因此其达标治疗理念可能也会有所不同,目前临床试验多将老年患者排除在外,导致相应循证数据缺乏。因此需开展针对老年患者的临床研究,为临床治疗方案提供依据和指导。     

Endoscopic endonasal skull base surgery: Part 1--The midline anterior fossa skull base.

OBJECTIVE: An endonasal endoscopic surgery to the anterior fossa skull base was developed in cadaver dissection as a minimally invasive surgical technique and, subsequently, used in patient treatment. METHODS: Six cadaver head specimens were used. Ideal head positioning and various surgical routes were studied. To estimate the extent of surgical exposure provided by this technique, the width of the exposed anterior cranial fossa was measured between the medial margin of the orbits, the optic nerves and the carotid arteries. Three demonstrative patient cases are presented. RESULTS: Ideal head positioning was discovered to be at 15-degree extension of the forehead-chin line. Paraseptal, middle meatal and middle turbinectomy approaches were developed. The average width between the medial orbits was measured to be 24 mm (range 22-29 mm) at the crista galli level, 27 mm (range 24-30 mm) at the planum sphenoidale, 18 mm (range 15-22 mm) between the optic nerves, and 17 mm (range 13-21 mm) between the rostral carotid siphons. This technique, when it was applied in patient care, proved to be minimally invasive. CONCLUSIONS: This endoscopic endonasal approach provided a direct "short-cut" access to the midline anterior fossa skull base. This technique can be used for the surgical treatment of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak, meningiomas, craniopharyngiomas, pituitary adenomas, and other midline intracranial anterior skull base lesions. This is the first report in the English literature describing endonasal endoscopy for the surgical treatment of primary intracranial anterior fossa skull base lesions.     

寰椎前弓双皮质螺钉固定相关解剖学测量

目的 :通过测量寰椎前弓双皮质螺钉固定相关解剖结构数据,为设计出更契合寰椎解剖结构的双皮质可调螺钉提供可靠的数据支持。方法:回顾性分析2017年4月～2018年8月门诊及住院部行上颈椎CT三维重建检查的就诊患者99例。其中男性54例,年龄31～81岁,平均56.67±10.56岁,身高159～180cm,平均172.24±4.95cm,体重55～90kg,平均70.24±7.57kg;女性45例,年龄46～77岁,平均59.84±8.29岁,身高154～171cm,平均163.11±5.24cm,体重40～80kg,平均59.31±8.48kg。通过三维测量软件,对前结节中点与齿状突后缘中点距离(前后距离)、双侧垂直钛板螺钉孔方向置钉长度(垂直长度)、双侧向齿状突后缘中点方向置钉长度(斜行长度)、双侧向齿状突后缘中点方向置钉尾端外倾角度(尾端外倾角度)和双侧置钉处前弓高度等进行测量。按照不同性别将患者分组,两组定量资料的比较采用t检验(方差齐)或Satterthwaite t′检验(方差不齐);左右侧比较采用配对t检验。年龄和各数值的相关性采用简单线性回归分析,身高、体重和各数值的关系采用Pearson相关系数和简单线性回归描述。结果:垂直长度、斜行长度、尾端外倾角度及置钉处前弓高度的左右侧数值差异均无统计学意义(P0.05)。男性前后距离、垂直长度、斜行长度、尾端外倾角度、置钉处前弓高度的均数分别为21.33±1.12mm、8.92±1.48mm、8.37±1.49mm、13.20°±0.93°、12.44±0.48mm;女性前后距离、垂直长度、斜行长度、尾端外倾角度、置钉处前弓高度的均数分别为20.01±1.33mm、8.18±1.56mm、7.67±1.58mm、13.88°±1.38°、12.08±0.75mm;男性患者垂直长度、斜行长度、前后距离及置钉处前弓高度大于女性患者,女性患者尾端外倾角度大于男性患者,有统计学意义(P0.05)。身高和垂直长度及斜行长度在不同性别组中均无相关性(P0.05)。Pearson相关分析显示,身高和尾端外倾角度在不同性别组中均呈负相关(r=-0.123,P0.05)。年龄和各数值的相关性没有统计学意义(P0.05)。结论:男性患者垂直长度、斜行长度、前后距离及置钉处前弓高度大于女性患者,女性患者尾端外倾角度大于男性患者。术者可根据患者性别,参考所得置钉参数选择合适的螺钉,从而提高了寰椎前弓置钉的准确率和安全性。     

Intubation difficulties in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Background : Fibreoptic intubation has been suggested to be the best method to manage a compromised airway. This retrospective study was designed to compare endotracheal intubation with the help of a rigid laryngoscope or a fibrescope in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
Methods : Intubation difficulties with the laryngoscope and the fibrescope in patients with rheumatoid arthritis were investigated during a period of five and a half years. The anaesthesia records were used for analysis. The patients were divided into two groups (group I with 41 patients and group II with 37 patients) reflecting the change in the routine airway management in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in our hospital from the beginning of 1993. Before that time the patients were usually intubated orotracheally under general anaesthesia, but since 1993 rheumatoid patients with anticipated difficulties in endotracheal intubation have been preferably intubated fibreoptically awake under sedation and topical anaesthesia with a fibrescope.
Results : Major difficulties in endotracheal intubations were encountered in 13% of patients in group I and in 8% in group II. On two occasions in group I tracheostomy was needed. In one of these patients, emergency tracheostomy was performed. In the latter group, the main reason for prolonged fibreoptic intubations was lack of experience.
Conclusion : The introduction of fibreoptic intubation technique has had a favourable influence on the safety in the airway management of surgical patients with rheumatoid arthritis.     

Renal involvement in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

In rheumatoid arthritis (RA) kidney is commonly affected organ with clinical presentation characterised by proteinuria (often nephrotic range) and microhematuria followed by chronic renal failure. This condition is well recognized as a rheumatoid nephropathy (rheumatoid glomerulonephritis), which is mediated by an immunological inflammation and by nephrotoxic effects of numerous drugs usually used in rheumatoid arthiritis treatment, such as NSAID, DMARD. In the patohistological examination various kinds of associated renal lesions could be seen. The most often are amyloidosis, glomerulonephritis, interstitial nephritis. In this study, we presented 15 patients, 10 women and 5 men, mean age of 60.2 with average rheumatoid arthritis duration of 19.4 years and signs of rheumatoid nephropathy. In all patients renal biopsy was performed with frequency of histopathological findings as follows: amyloidosis in 5 patients, IgA nephropathy in 3 patients, FSGS in 3 patients, mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis in 3 patients, minimal change disease, pauci-immune glomerulonephritis and thin membrane disease in 1 patient. In all patients (except patient with thin membrane nephropathy) we started immunossuppresive therapy with glucocorticoids in combination with cyclophosphamide or cyclosporin or azatioprine. In conclusion, in all patients with rheumatoid arthritis, parameters of renal function should be monitored and in the case of patologic results, renal biopsy should be be performed. In the treatment of RA patients with related renal disorder, suspected causal drug should be removed from the treatment and specific immunosuppressive therapy initiated.     

Occipitocervical fusion in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Instability and deformity of the cervical spine caused by rheumatoid arthritis is a well known entity. Operative intervention is indicated for patients with progressive deformity and when pain is resistant to conservative treatment. In a series of 39 patients who underwent posterior occipitocervical fusion with a Y plate, 22 patients were observed clinically and radiographically at average 41.5 months after surgery. In 35 of the 39 patients the main indication for surgery was pain, and in 30 of the 39 patients additional neurologic deficit (radiculopathy or myelopathy) was present. Thirty-one of the 39 patients had atlantoaxial instability. The atlantoaxial instability was associated with cranial migration of the dens in 19 patients. According to the classification of Conaty and Mongan 77.3% patients had satisfactory results and 22.7% had unsatisfactory results. Of the 30 patients with neurologic deficit, nine patients had a significant improvement. No patient had a worse result after surgery. Solid fusion was seen in all 22 patients at followup. Seven patients experienced complications directly related to the surgical procedure. Posterior fixation combined with anterior decompression in the presence of spinal stenosis represents a useful and safe method to treat instability and deformity caused by rheumatoid arthritis. Early surgical procedures may reduce the complication rate.     

Laser acupuncture versus reflexology therapy in elderly with rheumatoid arthritis

The purposes of this study are to determine and compare efficacy of laser acupuncture versus reflexology in elderly with rheumatoid arthritis. Thirty elderly patients with rheumatoid arthritis aged between 60 and 70 years were classified into two groups, 15 patients each. Group A received laser acupuncture therapy (904 nm, beam area of 1cm², power 100 mW, power density 100 mW/cm², energy dosage 4 J, energy density 4 J/cm², irradiation time 40 s, and frequency 100,000 Hz). The acupuncture points that were exposed to laser radiation are LR3, ST25, ST36, SI3, SI4, LI4, LI11, SP6, SP9, GB25, GB34, and HT7. While group B received reflexology therapy, both offered 12 sessions over 4 weeks. The changes in RAQoL, HAQ, IL-6, MDA, ATP, and ROM at wrist and ankle joints were measured at the beginning and end of treatment. There was significant decrease in RAQoL, HAQ, IL-6, and MDA pre/posttreatment for both groups (p < 0.05); significant increase in ATP pre/posttreatment for both groups (p < 0.05); significant increase in ankle dorsi-flexion, plantar-flexion, wrist flexion, extension, and ulnar deviation ROM pre/posttreatment in group A (p < 0.05); and significant increase in ankle dorsi-flexion and ankle plantar-flexion ROM pre/posttreatment in group B (p < 0.05). Comparison between both groups showed a statistical significant decrease in MDA and a statistical significant increase in ATP in group A than group B. Percent of changes in MDA was 41.82%↓ in group A versus 21.68%↓ in group B; changes in ATP was 226.97%↑ in group A versus 67.02%↑ in group B. Moreover, there was a statistical significant increase in ankle dorsi-flexion, ankle plantar-flexion, wrist flexion, wrist extension, and radial deviation in group A than group B. Laser therapy is associated with significant improvement in MDA and ATP greater than reflexology. In addition, it is associated with significant improvement in ankle dorsi-flexion, ankle plantar-flexion, wrist flexion, wrist extension, and radial deviation greater than reflexology in elderly patients with rheumatoid arthritis.