Tassements vertébraux ostéoporotiques avec complications neurologiques sévères. À propos de six observations

Osteoporotic vertebral crush fractures with neurologic complications are rarely reported in the literature. We report six new cases particularly severe in which death occurred in two cases. The study group included four women and two men with a mean age of 75 years (range: 7 -79). Vertebral collapse causing neurological deficit was T5, T9, T in two cases, L and L. The mean number of vertebral collapses was three per patient (range: 9). Back pain appeared without traumatism 6 weeks before admission (range: ), Neurological complications appeared.5 weeks after back pain (range: 8). One patient suffered from a paraplegia, three front a paraparesia with bladder dysfunction (n =). In one case there was a severe weakness of the levator muscles of the foot and in another a L femoral neuralgia with severe bowel and bladder dysfunction. X-rays demonstrated backwards displacement of the posterior cortex in three cases, an intravertebral vacuum phenomenon in two cases and a heterogeneous appearance suggesting a malignancy in two cases. Computed tomography, performed in four patients and tomography in one patient, demonstrated fragmentation of the vertebral body in all the cases and vacuum phenomenon in four cases. Magnetic resonance imaging performed in four cases has confirmed the absence of epiduritis and a compression due to bony structures in two cases. A vertebral biopsy was performed in three cases. Osteoporosis was observed in all the cases and in two cases there was also an osteonecrosis. Surgical treatment was performed in three cases and conservative medical treatment in the other cases. After surgical treatment we have observed an absence of improvement of neurological complications in one case, an improvement in another and finally a full recovery in the last case. After conservative treatment we have noted in two cases an absence of improvement of neurological complications and in one case an improvement of neurological deficit. Two patients died (one after medical treatment and another after surgical treatment).     

Hydatid cyst of the posterior fossa

Hydatidosis is an endemic affection in Tunisia. Cerebral echinococcosis is a relatively rare entity accounting for only 1-2% of all hydatid cysts in humans. Extradural hydatid cyst of the posterior fossa is a very uncommon site for the disease. We report the case of a four-year-old child admitted for high intracranial pressure. Brain CT scan showed an extradural posterior fossa cyst without enhancement after contrast medium injection. Operative finding revealed a hydatid cyst. The histological examination of the tissue sample confirmed the diagnosis. The patient was given albendazole post operatively. She feels well six months later.     

A型肉毒毒素配合踝关节支具治疗痉挛性脑性瘫痪动力性尖足畸形的临床价值

目的探讨A型肉毒毒素(BTX-A)配合踝关节支具对痉挛性脑瘫的动力性尖足畸形治疗的临床价值。方法28位儿童采用BTX-A注射治疗肌痉挛,BTX-A注射的起始剂量为3～5IU/kg,注射后1周配带踝关节支具。结果采用BTX-A注射小腿三头肌同时配带AFO支具的肌张力有明显降低,关节活动度有一定程度的提高,改善了患者的运动功能。结论BTX-A提供安全有效的治疗痉挛性脑瘫动力性尖足畸形.     

Anesthésiques généraux en pédiatrie : risque ou bénéfice ?

The practice of paediatric anaesthesia has changed during the last 25 years, with a noticeable reduction of mortality and serious morbidity. This improvement results in part from the use of new anaesthetic agents which large therapeutic interval regarding cardiovascular effects. Parallel to this advance and following experimental or clinical studies in neurosciences, some new concerns have emerged regarding short and long time consequences of anaesthesia. Indeed, postoperative hyperalgesia due to opioids, emergence agitation and postoperative maladaptive behavioural changes are widely described in children, in the same way the potential epileptogenic effect of sevoflurane is demonstrated. Thus the hypothetical cerebral toxicity leads us to reconsider our practice. Basically, monitoring of cerebral cortical effects of hypnotics is now possible from automated devices based on EEG, allowing us to control the administration of hypnotic agents. The therapeutic interval of these agents, previously determined between movement at incision and deleterious cardiovascular effect, may be revisited with a cerebral approach, with the risk of memorisation for the lower limit and the risk of cerebral over dosage for the upper limit. Lastly, further experimental and clinical studies are required to analyse the effects of the anaesthetic agents on the brain of the neonate, and the interest of the cerebral monitoring in this population.