Severe lumbar spinal stenosis combined with Guillain-Barré syndrome: A case report

BACKGROUNDGuillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is a rare disorder that typically presents with ascending weakness, pain, paraesthesias, and numbness, which mimic the findings in lumbar spinal stenosis. Here, we report a case of severe lumbar spinal stenosis combined with GBS.CASE SUMMARYA 70-year-old man with a history of lumbar spinal stenosis presented to our emergency department with severe lower back pain and lower extremity numbness. Magnetic resonance imaging confirmed the diagnosis of severe lumbar spinal stenosis. However, his symptoms did not improve postoperatively and he developed dysphagia and upper extremity numbness. An electromyogram was performed. Based on his symptoms, physical examination, and electromyogram, he was diagnosed with GBS. After 5 d of intravenous immunoglobulin (0.4 g/kg/d for 5 d) therapy, he gained 4/5 of strength in his upper and lower extremities and denied paraesthesias. He had regained 5/5 of strength in his extremities when he was discharged and had no symptoms during follow-up.CONCLUSIONGBS should be considered in the differential diagnosis of spinal disorder, even though magnetic resonance imaging shows severe lumbar spinal stenosis. This case highlights the importance of a careful diagnosis when a patient has a history of a disease and comes to the hospital with the same or similar symptoms.     

Minimum clinically important difference of the health-related quality of life scales in adult spinal deformity calculated by latent class analysis: is it appropriate to use the same values for surgical and nonsurgical patients?

BACKGROUND CONTEXT

Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) parameters have been shown to be reliable and valid in patients with adult spinal deformity (ASD). Minimum clinically important difference (MCID) has become increasingly important to clinicians in evaluating patients with a threshold of improvement that is clinically relevant.

Voluntary ambulation using voluntary upper limb muscle activity and Hybrid Assistive Limb® (HAL®) in a patient with complete paraplegia due to chronic spinal cord injury: A case report

Context: We sought to describe our experience with the Hybrid Assistive Limb® (HAL®) for active knee extension and voluntary ambulation with remaining muscle activity in a patient with complete paraplegia after spinal cord injury.

Findings: A 30-year-old man with complete paraplegia used the HAL® for 1 month (10 sessions) using his remaining muscle activity, including hip flexor and upper limb activity. Electromyography was used to evaluate muscle activity of the gluteus maximus, tensor fascia lata, quadriceps femoris, and hamstring muscles in synchronization with the Vicon motion capture system. A HAL® session included a knee extension session with the hip flexor and voluntary gait with upper limb activity. After using the HAL® for one month, the patient’s manual muscle hip flexor scores improved from 1/5 to 2/5 for the right and from 2/5 to 3/5 for the left knee, and from 0/5 to 1/5 for the extension of both knees.

Conclusion/clinical relevance: Knee extension sessions with HAL®, and hip flexor and upper-limb-triggered HAL® ambulation seem a safe and feasible option in a patient with complete paraplegia due to spinal cord injury.     

Lumbar Spinal Cord Stimulation Can Improve Muscle Strength and Gait Independently of the Analgesic Effect: A Case Report

Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is widely used for pain relief in patients with failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS), and muscle weakness is a common finding in patients with chronic pain. We present here a single case report of a 47‐year‐old woman, who, after SCS for FBSS, had continuous improvement in lower leg muscle strength and gait, but only transient and minimal pain relief. To the authors’ knowledge, this is only the second published case report of significant improvement in “motor” function, independent of the analgesic effect following SCS in FBSS. If SCS, in fact, does improve muscle strength, new strategies for the management of patients with chronic pain might be opened up. Further studies are needed to verify this hypothesis.     

Poly-lactic acid and agarose gelatin play an active role in the recovery of spinal cord injury

Objective To investigate the role of poly-lactic acid and agarose gelatin in promoting the functional recovery of the injured spinal cord. Methods Poly-lactic acid ( PLA) or agarose was embedded in the space between two stumps of the hemisectioned spinal cord. Immunohistochemistry was used to show astroglia proliferation and the infiltration of RhoA-positive cells. Locomotor activity recovery was evaluated by testing the function of hindlimbs. Results Astrogli-as and RhoA labeled non-neuronal cells accumulated in the area adjacent to the implant, while the number of RhoA-positive cells was decreased dramatically in the absence of implant. Animals implanted with agarose gelatin recovered more quickly than those with PLA, concomitant with a higher survival rate of the neurons. Conclusion Both PLA and agarose gelatin benefited the recovery of spinal cord after injury by providing a scaffold for astroglia processes. Modulation of the rigidity, pore size and inner structure of PLA and agarose gelatin might make these biodegradable materials more effective in the regeneration of the central nervous system (CNS).     

后路半椎体切除矫治半椎体所致脊柱侧后凸畸形

[目的]评价后路半椎体切除术治疗半椎体所致脊柱侧后凸畸形的临床效果。[方法]2000年5月~2005年11月,采用后路半椎体切除及矫形固定融合术治疗14例完全分节半椎体所致脊柱侧后凸畸形患者。年龄2.5~14.4岁,平均7.4岁,半椎体均为侧后方半椎体,其中胸椎7例,腰椎7例。[结果]手术时间2~7 h,平均4.7h,术中出血量150~2 500 m l,平均560 m。l固定节段2~8个椎体,平均3.5。术后随访6~36个月。平均15.6个月。术后站立位脊柱正侧位X线片示冠状面Cobb's角由术前46.2°矫正到17.3°,平均矫正率62.6%,矢状面Cobb's角由术前48.3°矫正至术后16.2°,平均矫正率68.7%。终末随访时冠状面Cobb's角平均21.7°,丢失4.4°,矢状面Cobb's角平均18.7°,丢失2.5°。围手术期并发症包括:伤口愈合不良2例,术中术后椎弓根螺钉切割椎体2例。[结论]后路半椎体切除可直接去除致畸因素,在冠状面及矢状面均获得良好的矫形效果,与前后路手术相比可缩短手术时间,减少创伤,适用于从胸段到腰段的半椎体畸形。     

Spinal epidural hematoma. Report of a case and review of the literature

We report the case of a thoracic epidural hematoma at the T7-T9 level which occurred after placement of spinal epidural catheter for continuous anaesthesia in acute pancreatitis. The male patient felt a sudden back pain after six days of successful analgesia and became paraplegic 24 hours afterwards. An emergency laminectomy and removal of the hematoma were performed; however, the patient recovered only incompletely.We discuss the clinical signs and symptoms of spinal epidural hematoma as well as its diagnostics and therapy. The controversial views from the literature concernings its etiology are critically reviewed.     

460例胃癌纤维胃镜活检标本的病理观察

本文分析了460例胃癌胃粘膜活检资料,结果:男:女为2.36:1:51～60岁年龄组发病率最岛(37.17％);发生部位以胃窦部最多见,占46.74％;组织学分类以低分化腺癌最多,占51 52％;在伴随病变中,畅化生的检出率为21.74％,胃腺囊为35％,胃粘膜上皮异型增生为32.61％。本组材料提示,不完全性大肠型肠化生、异型胃腺囊及胃粘膜中度以上异型增生与胃癌有密切关系。