Journal of neurosurgery. Spine
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The authors report a case of spontaneous resorption of intradural disc material in a patient with recurrent intradural lumbar disc herniation and review magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and histopathological findings. Intradural lumbar disc herniation is rare, and most patients with this condition require surgical intervention due to severe leg pain and vesicorectal disturbance. ⋯ The authors conclude that when rim enhancement is present on Gd-enhanced MR images, there is a possibility of spontaneous resorption even though the herniated mass may be located within the intradural space. Moreover, when radiculopathy is controllable and cauda equina syndrome is absent, conservative therapy can be selected.
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Case Reports
Single-stage total C-2 intralesional spondylectomy for chordoma with three-column reconstruction. Technical note.
Chordomas are locally invasive, malignant bone tumors that rarely occur in the cervical spine. En bloc resection or even fully resecting the tumor along its margin offers improved patient survival and a potential disease cure. ⋯ The authors present a case of a chordoma involving the axis that was treated using a single-stage total intralesional C-2 spondylectomy with preservation of both VAs because the patient did not tolerate a preoperative occlusion test. A three-column reconstruction technique is also presented.
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Acupuncture is a frequently used adjuvant treatment for chronic pain conditions. The authors report the case of a patient in whom the delayed migration of embedded acupuncture needles into the lumbar spinal canal caused the formation of a cerebrospinal fluid fistula and spine-related headache. The needles were safely removed surgically and the patient improved clinically.
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Classical Article
The anterior approach for removal of ruptured cervical disks. 1958.
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The incidence of postoperative C-5 spinal nerve root palsy following decompressive cervical spinal surgery has been reported to be as high as 12% for anterior procedures and 30% for posterior procedures. The present study was conducted to document the prevalence of iatrogenic C-5 nerve root deficit during anterior cervical spinal surgery, as well as to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of intraoperative transcranial electrical stimulation (TES)-induced motor evoked potentials (MEPs) and spontaneous electromyographic (EMG) activity for identifying evolving C-5 nerve root impairment. ⋯ Transcranial electrical stimulation-induced MEPs and spontaneous EMG activity offer complementary information about evolving iatrogenic C-5 spinal nerve root impairment during anterior cervical spinal surgery. The TES-induced MEPs provide prognostic information and show increased sensitivity to C-5 deficit compared with spontaneous EMG activity alone. Monitoring of spinal nerve root function using only EMG activity carries a risk of false-negative findings; without timely warning of impending neurological impairment, timely intervention to prevent permanent deficit cannot occur.