Curēus
-
Patients with age-related degenerative changes in the cervical spine leading to cervical spondylosis may be symptomatic or asymptomatic. Older patients with radicular pain tend to have a better response to epidural steroid injections, but it is often difficult to predict which patients will have a positive response to selective nerve root block (SNRB). We analyzed whether the cervical neuroforaminal area measured on MRI predicts immediate therapeutic responses to SNRB in patients who have cervical radiculopathy. ⋯ Measurement of neuroforaminal areas on MRI may represent a useful pre-procedural technique to predict which patients with symptoms of cervical radiculopathy secondary to foraminal stenosis are likely to respond to selective nerve root injections. The predictive ability appears to be limited to those patients with severe stenosis and was less useful in those patients with moderate or mild stenosis.
-
Schwannomas are typically benign tumors of the peripheral nervous system that originate from Schwann cells. It is well known that the optic nerves are myelinated by oligodendrocytes since their cell bodies arise centrally within the lateral geniculate nuclei. Because of this basic cellular anatomy, optic schwannomas should theoretically not exist. It is possible, however, these rare lesions stem from small sympathetic fibers that innervate the vasculature surrounding the optic nerve and its sheath. ⋯ Herein, we discuss the pertinent clinical findings of this rare lesion and review the literature relative to optic nerve and solitary orbital schwannomas.
-
Venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) is utilized for cardiopulmonary failure. We aimed to qualify and quantify the predictors of morbidity and mortality in infants requiring VA-ECMO. ⋯ Infants requiring VA-ECMO experience diverse sequelae and their mortality are high.
-
Retrospective study of 24 patients who underwent either a bilateral or unilateral TLIF procedure for the treatment of degenerative spondylolisthesis. ⋯ Unilateral pedicle screw fixation is an acceptable surgical strategy in patients with stable L4-5 degenerative spondylolisthesis undergoing mi-TLIF. In our series, unilateral fixation led to significant hospital cost savings without compromising clinical or radiographic outcomes.
-
Review
Multimodality Neuromonitoring in Pediatric Neurocritical Care: Review of the Current Resources.
Brain insults in children represent a daily challenge in neurocritical care. Having a constant grasp on various parameters in the pediatric injured brain may affect the patient's outcome. Currently, new advances provide clinicians with the ability to utilize several modalities to monitor brain function. This multi-modal approach allows real-time information, leading to faster responses in management and furthermore avoiding secondary insults in the injured brain.