The carotid endarterectomy: Experience with 260 cases and discussion of the indications

Summary During 1978 to 1989, 235 patients were operated upon with 260 procedures for cervical carotid endarterectomy. The patients were classified according to the presence or absence of ischaemic symptomatology, and for symptomatic patients, according to the reversibility or persistance of ischaemic symptoms. So the selection of patients was: reversible ischaemia 46%, stroke 29%, asymptomatic patients 25%. In the stroke group, no patient was operated on as an emergency, the endarterectomy was only performed after stabilization of the clinical state. Three subgroups were included in patients operated on for asymptomatic carotid stenosis: casual discovery 40%, treatment of the second carotid artery (previous endarterectomy for symptomatic contralateral stenosis) 34%, and treatment of the second carotid artery (previous ECIC by-pass for contralateral carotid occlusion) 26%. All patients were operated upon after angiographic exploration (femoral catheterisation in most cases), and after cerebral CT scan. The surgical technique included general anaesthesia, systematic shunting, endarterectomy after longitudinal arteriotomy, closure without patch. The operating microscope has been used since 1985.The surgical results were studied in terms of uneventful postoperative course (87%), reversible complications (8%) and long lasting complications (5%). The long lasting complications were of local origin (1%), of neurological origin (2%), of general origin (1%). Overall the operative outcome at 6 months was: return to previous clinical state 95%, neurological sequelae 2%, death 3%. In the patients operated on for asymptomatic carotid stenosis the overall outcome was: previous clinical state 97%, death 3%. The legitimacy of carotid endarterectomy procedure is discussed in relation to some recent pertinent literature.     

Myocardial perfusion imaging and cardiac events in a cohort of asymptomatic patients with diabetes living in southern France.

AIMS: To assess the association between abnormal stress myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) and cardiac events (CE) in asymptomatic patients with diabetes and with > or = 1 additional risk factor. Predictors of abnormal stress MPI were also evaluated. METHODS: Four hundred and forty-seven consecutive patients who underwent stress MPI were prospectively followed for 2.1 [0.5-4.1] years for the subsequent occurrence of hard CE (myocardial infarction and sudden or coronary death) and soft CE (unstable angina and ischaemic heart failure requiring hospitalization). Re-vascularization procedures performed as a result of the screening protocol were not included in the analysis. RESULTS: Follow-up was successful in 419 of 447 patients (94%), of whom 71 had abnormal MPI at baseline. Medical therapy was intensified in all subjects and especially in those with abnormal MPI. Twenty-three patients with abnormal MPI underwent a re-vascularization procedure. CEs occurred in 14 patients, including six of 71 patients (8.5%) with abnormal MPI and eight of 348 patients (2.3%) with normal MPI (P < 0.005). Only two patients developed a hard CE and 12 a soft CE. In multivariate analysis, abnormal MPI was the strongest predictor for CEs [odds ratio (OR) (95% CI) = 5.6 (1.7-18.5)]. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol > or = 3.35 mmol/l [OR (95% CI) = 7.3; 1.5-34.7] and age > median [OR (95% CI) = 6.0 (1.2-28.6)] were additional independent predictors for CE. The independent predictors for abnormal MPI were male gender, plasma triglycerides > or = 1.70 mmol/l, creatinine clearance < 60 ml/min and HbA1c > 8%, with male gender the strongest [OR (95% CI) = 4.0 (1.8-8.8)]. CONCLUSIONS: Asymptomatic patients with diabetes in this study had a very low hard cardiac event rate over an intermediate period. This could be explained by the effects of intervention or by the low event rate in the background population. Randomized studies of cardiac heart disease screening are required in asymptomatic subjects with diabetes to determine the effectiveness of this intervention.     

Unusual course of an epidural rhabdomyosarcoma of the upper thoracic spine

Summary This report deals with a case of rhabdomyosarcoma in the upper thoracic spine. It is of particular interest, not only for the rarity of type and location of this tumour, but for its clinical course, which presented fluctuations of neurological status, included an acute demonstration of complete paraplegia followed by full recovery after conservative treatment, and gradual relapsing of neurological deficit, one year later.     

扩大的椎板间开窗治疗腰椎间盘突出伴侧隐窝狭窄（附140例报告）

本组采用的扩大的椎板开窗术治疗腰椎间盘突出合并侧隐窝狭窄140例。结果全部优良，与适应症严格选择和手术损伤小有关。强调切除卡压神经根的侧隐窝后壁外侧，即上关节突的冠状面．不失其脊椎三柱系统的三角结构。俯卧位头低足高，可减少硬膜囊张力避免负损伤。切除棘突下椎板时，用神经拉勾代替神经剥离器易于分离黄韧带，用90度的椎板咬骨钳斜向棘突方向，可满意地切除该部份椎板黄韧带，并可刮切椎板内层。神经根周围滴入醋酸炎舒松A2-3ml，术后疼痛锐减。减压窗口置盖明胶海绵有其争议，作者实践体会放置害处不大，要求病人有“护腰”意识。     

Congenital esophageal stenosis presenting as noncardiac,esophageal chest pain

Summary A case of a 31-year-old female with congenital esophageal stenosis presenting with symptoms of chest pain caused by esophageal dysmotility is described. The involved segment in congenital esophageal stenosis has a characteristic thickening of the muscularis propria layer, as seen by EUS examination. In these patients, symptoms of dysphagia can be managed with esophageal dilation and noncardiac esophageal chest pain responds to pharmacotherapy with diltiazem.The opinions and assertions contained herein are the private ones of the authors and are not to be construed as official policy or reflecting the views of the Army or the Department of Defense.     

小切口加脊柱花刀治疗髓核骨化性腰椎间盘突出症

为保留腰椎后部结构的完整性，防止术后腰椎不稳，采用小切口单侧小开窗加脊柱花刀治疗旁侧型髓核骨化性腰椎间盘突出症22例，单侧扩大开窗加脊柱花刀治疗中央型髓核骨化性腰椎间盘突出症10例。手术尽可能地保留了腰椎全部结构的完整性，可防止术后腰椎不稳和减少对硬膜和神经根的疤痕粘连。并就32例髓核骨化性腰椎间盘突出症患者CT图像中髓核骨化的形式和形态进行了讨论。     

胸腰椎稳定性重建方法的改进

为了改进胸腰椎脱位的治疗方法，更好地重建脊柱稳定性，设计了一种新的脊柱固定器械，由滚花钉及连接板构成，并通过椎弓根进行的一种脊柱后路短节段固定方法，脊柱固定范围限制在两个椎体间。１９８９年～１９９５年，临床应用这种新器械矫正胸腰椎脱位１２例，经１～４年随访，畸形矫正满意，固定牢固。结果表明：该器械具有手术方法简单、固定牢固和手术创伤小等优点。认为，该项技术适用于胸腰椎稳定性的重建。     

The effect of prior back surgery on surgical outcome in patients operated on for lumbar spinal stenosis a matched-pair study

Summary It has been widely observed that the outcome after repeat lumbar surgery is rarely comparable to that of primary surgery. In particular, the results of repeat surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) have not been favourable. We used a matched-pair format in an attempt to decrease the confounding factors so as to determine as exactly as possible the effect of prior back surgery on the LSS patients surgical outcome. The matching criteria were sex, age, myelographic findings, major symptom, and duration of symptoms. From one group of 251 patients without prior back surgery (SO patients) and another of fifty-three patients with one preceding back operation (RS patients), forty-one similar matched patients pairs (one SO and one RS-patient) were formed.There were 8 female and 33 male pairs. The mean age of the SO patients was 51.6 and of the RS patient 51.4 years, and the mean follow-up time was 4.6 and 4.4 years. The assessment of outcome was based on a subjective disability questionnaire. The SO patients fared significantly better than the RS patients (32.1 versus 41.3, P = 0.026). A short time interval between operations in the RS patients had a worsening effect on outcome, but this trend was not significant.We concluded that one preceding back operation had a worsening effect on the outcome of patients operated on for LSS. As a whole, the results of RS patients were unfavourable. The proper time for achieving good surgical results in LSS patients is the initial operation.     

椎管镜技术治疗腰椎间盘突出症并侧隐窝狭窄

目的 :探讨椎管镜技术治疗腰椎间盘突出症并侧隐窝狭窄的临床效果。方法 :采用显微内窥镜椎间盘切除系统治疗腰椎间盘突出症并侧隐窝狭窄 860例。结果 :临床疗效参照NaKai分级 ,70 9例获得随访 ,平均 2年 7个月 ,优 ,5 5 9例 ;良 ,12 7例 ;可 ,2 3例。结论 :椎管镜技术是治疗腰椎间盘疾病安全有效的方法 ,住院时间短 ,恢复快 ,但操作技术有待进一步提高。     

原发性胸椎原始神经外胚层肿瘤的动态增强MRI表现

目的 初步探讨原始神经外胚层肿瘤(PNET)的动态增强MRI表现，以及对其诊断及鉴别诊断的价值。方法 用动态增强MRI方法对已手术和病理证实的2例胸椎PNET行3次MR检查并进行前瞻性研究。结果 在信号强度-时间和对比增强率．时间曲线上，2例PNET3次检查均表现为快升慢降型，即肿瘤早期就开始迅速增强，上升峰极陡，60～120s即达到高峰水平，然后保持平坦，3．5min内未见明显下降曲线。结论 动态增强MRI扫描能帮助对PNET进行早期诊断和鉴别诊断，从而为临床选择治疗方案及估计预后提供较为可靠的依据。