Neurologia medico-chirurgica
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Neurol. Med. Chir. (Tokyo) · Nov 2009
Case ReportsParaplegia caused by intratumoral hemorrhage within thoracic epidural granuloma.
An 84-year-old man presented with a rare case of spinal epidural granuloma with intratumoral hematoma resulting in acute paraplegia. He was admitted to our hospital because of lumbago and hematemesis following a fall 10 days before. Progressive paraparesis occurred 2 days after admission. ⋯ Histological examination of the excised specimens showed a granuloma. Motor weakness improved after surgery, and he could walk with a cane about 3 months after surgery. The minor spinal injury probably caused intratumoral hemorrhage within a previous epidural granuloma, suddenly resulting in the paraplegic symptoms.
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Neurol. Med. Chir. (Tokyo) · Nov 2009
Case ReportsPrimary epidural peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumor of the thoracic spine.
A 25-year-old male patient presented with an extremely rare primary spinal peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumor (pPNET) manifesting as acutely progressive paraparesis and back pain. Neuroimaging and intraoperative examination showed that the tumor was confined to the epidural space of the thoracic spine. The patient was treated successfully by gross total resection of the tumor followed by chemotherapy and local radiotherapy. The present case illustrates the unexpected occurrence and important differential diagnosis of primary epidural pPNET of the thoracic spine in young patients presenting with progressive paraparesis and back pain.
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Neurol. Med. Chir. (Tokyo) · Nov 2009
Percutaneous vertebroplasty using hydroxyapatite blocks for the treatment of vertebral body fracture.
Vertebroplasty with hydroxyapatite blocks through a modified percutaneous approach was used to treat 30 patients with vertebral body fractures in 32 vertebral bodies between February 2003 and March 2007. The mean follow-up period was 16.6 months. The pain associated with this procedure, effects on adjacent vertebral bodies, and other complications were evaluated. ⋯ New vertebral body fractures occurred postoperatively in 3 vertebral bodies in 2 patients. Leakage of blocks outside the vertebral body occurred in 2 patients during the operation, and after the operation in one patient, and the hydroxyapatite plug broke postoperatively in one patient. Hydroxyapatite blocks yielded good pain relief comparable to bone cement, with no serious complications such as a pulmonary embolism or leakage into the spinal canal, and are effective for percutaneous vertebroplasty.
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Neurol. Med. Chir. (Tokyo) · Nov 2009
Changes in regional blood flow induced by unilateral subthalamic nucleus stimulation in patients with Parkinson's disease.
Changes in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) induced by unilateral deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) were investigated in 7 consecutive patients with Parkinson's disease, 4 men and 3 women (mean age 62.3 +/- 8.1 years), who underwent rCBF measurement by N-isopropyl-p-(iodine-123)-iodoamphetamine single photon emission computed tomography at rest before and after unilateral STN DBS preoperatively in the on-drug condition, and postoperatively in the on-drug and on-stimulation condition. Statistical parametric mapping was used to identify significant changes in rCBF from the preoperative to the postoperative conditions. rCBF was increased in the bilateral cingulate cortices and bilateral cerebellar hemispheres. rCBF was decreased in the bilateral medial frontal cortices and left superior temporal cortex. Unilateral STN DBS produced rCBF changes in the bilateral cingulate cortices, cerebellar hemispheres, and medial frontal cortices. These findings indicate that unilateral STN DBS affects rCBF in both hemispheres.
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Neurol. Med. Chir. (Tokyo) · Oct 2009
Case ReportsMigration of the distal end of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt into the abdominal wall in an obese patient: case report.
A 64-year-old obese woman underwent ventriculoperitoneal shunting for hydrocephalus associated with subarachnoid hemorrhage. On the 10th postoperative day, the distal end of the peritoneal catheter migrated into the abdominal wall and she developed a cyst filled with cerebrospinal fluid around the migrated catheter. ⋯ We attribute the migration to increased intra-abdominal pressure due to obesity, the use of a low friction hydrogel-processed peritoneal catheter, and the presence of a large dead space around the catheter. The laparotomy must be closed meticulously to prevent this type of migration.