Curēus
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This paper is a case report and literature review. The objective of this article is to address a rather unusual case of central cord syndrome in a patient with diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis and focal ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament. We also discuss the mechanism of injury in central cord syndrome, as well as that specific to involvement of diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) and ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL). ⋯ Since surgery, the patient has had a steady progressive improvement in neurological function and is currently ambulating with a good functional use of his upper extremities. An increased risk of spinal cord injury is a known risk in individuals with pre-existing spinal ankylosing. Few reports are present citing the contribution of focal OPLL with DISH in this age group within the cervical spine contributing to the central cord syndrome.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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A 77-year-old man presented to the hospital for non-ambulation of 48 hours prior to admission. He was found to have a metastatic spinal cord compression (MSCC), a PSA exceeding 27,000, and biopsy-confirmed prostate cancer. After palliative radiation (RT) to the spine and medical treatment, the patient recovered his functions fully and survived for more than 7.5 years, far beyond what would be expected based on current published literature. A systematic review of the literature of MSCC in patients with prostate cancer was carried out. ⋯ Positive predictive factors of local control included single level of metastasis, time of development of motor deficits of more than 14 days, no prior androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT), age under 65, and longer course of RT (10 fractions of 2 Gy). Absence of prior ADT, pre-treatment ambulation, a single site of metastasis, and haemoglobin of less than 12g/L were positive predictors for survival.