World Neurosurg
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Invasive orbital apex aspergillosis (IOAA) is an aggressive form of aspergillus infection that usually affects immunocompromised patients. It can cause orbital apex syndrome and, if not treated promptly, may progress rapidly causing fatal complications. Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) secondary to ruptured mycotic aneurysms is a very rare complication of invasive aspergillosis. We aim to describe our management and the outcome of six immunocompetent patients with IOAA with subsequent SAH secondary to ruptured mycotic aneurysms. ⋯ IOAA is a serious disease that commonly causes catastrophic and fatal vascular complications.
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Postural instability and gait disorder (PIGD) in Parkinson disease (PD) has been a great challenge in clinical practice because PIGD is closely linked to major morbidity and mortality in PD. Pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN) has been considered as a potential promising target for deep brain stimulation (DBS) in the treatment of PIGD. A meta-analysis of individual patient data was performed to assess the effects of PPN DBS on PIGD in patients with PD and explore the factors predicting good outcome. ⋯ Our study provides evidence that PPN DBS may improve PIGD, which should be interpreted with caution and needs further verification before making generalization of our results.
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Review Case Reports
Acute Spinal Epidural Hematoma after Acupuncture: Personal Case and Literature Review.
Spinal acupuncture is a relatively safe and common analgesic treatment, but it may be complicated by serious adverse effects, such as direct spinal cord and nerve root injury, subdural empyema, and epidural abscesses. In this report we compare our case of an extremely uncommon spinal epidural hematoma, which appeared after treatment by acupuncture, with other similar documented cases. ⋯ Although a post-acupuncture spinal epidural hematoma (paSEH) is very rare, there are only 6 documented cases, it is a possible complication from acupuncture on the back. The use of very thin needles can produce bleeding, probably venous, in the epidural space. In general, this evolves more slowly than other kinds of epidural hematomas. The symptoms are also less severe, warranting less frequent surgical intervention, and in general there is a good outcome. The possibility of hematoma makes acupuncture contraindicated in patients who have coagulation disorders. The onset of severe spinal pain after spinal or paraspinal acupuncture treatment should lead to the suspicion of a paSEH, and a spinal MRI should be carried out.
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Medicine is rapidly changing, both in the level of collective medical knowledge and in how it is being delivered. The increased presence of administrators in hospitals helps to facilitate these changes and ease administrative workloads on physicians; however, tensions sometimes form between physicians and administrators. ⋯ Physicians and administrators both need to have a well-developed personal ethic to achieve these goals. Physicians need be allowed to retain relative autonomy over their practices as they support and participate in administrator-led efforts toward distributive justice.