Transdural Spinal Cord Herniation: An Exceptional Complication of Thoracoscopic Discectomy: 2-Dimensional Operative Video

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Pommier ◽  
Michaël Grelat ◽  
Rostom Messerer ◽  
Sylvain Portet ◽  
Cédric Y Barrey
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Lower Extremity ◽  
Disc Herniation ◽  
Posterolateral Approach ◽  
Thoracic Disc Herniation ◽  
Lower Extremity Weakness ◽  
Initial Surgery ◽  
Spinal Cord Herniation ◽  
Dural Tears ◽  
Thoracic Disc

Abstract Thoracic disc herniation is a rare and severe condition, whose treatment may have complications including dural tears. Although benign in most cases, dural tears may induce iatrogenic transdural herniation of the spinal cord. The video demonstrates the diagnosis and surgical treatment of iatrogenic transdural herniation of the spinal cord. Here, we report a case of spinal cord herniation after thorascopic treatment of a thoracic disc herniation (DH). A 28-yr-old male presented with several years of left lower extremity weakness and was found to have a T6-7 DH. He underwent DH resection through video assisted mini-thoracotomy at another institution. In the immediate postoperative period, he developed a Brown-Sequard syndrome with left leg weakness. The surgeon decided not to reoperate and the patient improved with rehabilitation, allowing him to walk again. At 6 mo postop, he experienced sudden neurologic worsening but did not present to our clinic until 6 mo later. At this time, he had near complete paraplegia with bilateral lower extremity spasticity and central neuropathic pain. MRI showed a pseudo-meningocele and features suggesting a lateral spinal cord herniation. After a multidisciplinary meeting, we elected to perform a posterolateral approach with costo-arthro-pediculectomy and durotomy to repair the SC herniation. Immediately postop, the patient had a slight improvement in right lower extremity function, with decreased pain and spasticity. This case shows a transdural SC herniation, a rare complication after resection of DH. It is possible that an unreported or unrecognized dural tear at the time of the initial surgery, combined with the negative pressure of the thoracic cavity, put the patient at risk for this particular complication. The authors state that the patient gave his informed consent.

scholarly journals Sleep Apnea and Unilateral Upper and Lower Extremity Allodynia as a Result of a Large Thoracic Disc Herniation: A Case Report

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tyler D. Alexander ◽  
Anthony Stefanelli ◽  
Sara Thalheimer ◽  
Joshua E. Heller
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Sleep Apnea ◽  
Sexual Dysfunction ◽  
Lower Extremity ◽  
Disc Herniation ◽  
Cord Compression ◽  
Thoracic Disc Herniation ◽  
Lower Extremity Weakness ◽  
Disc Herniations ◽  
Thoracic Disc

Abstract BackgroundClinically significant disc herniations in the thoracic spine are rare accounting for approximately 1% of all disc herniations. In patients with significant spinal cord compression, presenting symptoms typically include ambulatory dysfunction, lower extremity weakness, lower extremity sensory changes, as well as bowl, bladder, or sexual dysfunction. Thoracic disc herniations can also present with thoracic radiculopathy including midback pain and radiating pain wrapping around the chest or abdomen. The association between thoracic disc herniation with cord compression and sleep apnea is not well described.Case PresentationThe following is a case of a young male patient with high grade spinal cord compression at T7-8, as a result of a large thoracic disc herniation. The patient presented with complaints of upper and lower extremity unilateral allodynia and sleep apnea. Diagnosis was only made once the patient manifested more common symptoms of thoracic stenosis including left lower extremity weakness and sexual dysfunction. Following decompression and fusion the patient’s allodynia and sleep apnea quickly resolved.ConclusionsThoracic disc herniations can present atypically with sleep apnea – a symptom which may resolve with surgical treatment.

scholarly journals Sleep apnea and unilateral upper and lower extremity allodynia as a result of a large thoracic disc herniation: a case report

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tyler D. Alexander ◽  
Anthony Stefanelli ◽  
Sara Thalheimer ◽  
Joshua E. Heller
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Sleep Apnea ◽  
Sexual Dysfunction ◽  
Lower Extremity ◽  
Disc Herniation ◽  
Cord Compression ◽  
Thoracic Disc Herniation ◽  
Lower Extremity Weakness ◽  
Disc Herniations ◽  
Thoracic Disc

Abstract Background Clinically significant disc herniations in the thoracic spine are rare accounting for approximately 1% of all disc herniations. In patients with significant spinal cord compression, presenting symptoms typically include ambulatory dysfunction, lower extremity weakness, lower extremity sensory changes, as well as bowl, bladder, or sexual dysfunction. Thoracic disc herniations can also present with thoracic radiculopathy including midback pain and radiating pain wrapping around the chest or abdomen. The association between thoracic disc herniation with cord compression and sleep apnea is not well described. Case presentation The following is a case of a young male patient with high grade spinal cord compression at T7-8, as a result of a large thoracic disc herniation. The patient presented with complaints of upper and lower extremity unilateral allodynia and sleep apnea. Diagnosis was only made once the patient manifested more common symptoms of thoracic stenosis including left lower extremity weakness and sexual dysfunction. Following decompression and fusion the patient’s allodynia and sleep apnea quickly resolved. Conclusions Thoracic disc herniations can present atypically with sleep apnea. We recommend taking into consideration that sleep symptoms may resolve when planning treatment for thoracic disc herniation.

scholarly journals Thoracic intramedullary neurosarcoidosis with thoracic disc herniation: Diagnostic importance of intramedullary contrast enhancement

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 331
Author(s):  
Justin Beiriger ◽  
Hussam Abou-Al-Shaar ◽  
Hansen Deng ◽  
Mansour Mathkour ◽  
David O. Okonkwo
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Contrast Enhancement ◽  
Disc Herniation ◽  
Mediastinal Lymphadenopathy ◽  
Thoracic Disc Herniation ◽  
Thoracic Spinal Cord ◽  
Lower Extremity Weakness ◽  
Radiographic Findings ◽  
Signal Change ◽  
Thoracic Disc

Background: Thoracic intramedullary neurosarcoidosis is an uncommon but serious manifestation of spinal cord disease. Its concomitant occurrence with thoracic disc herniation can mislead the physician into attributing neurologic and radiographic findings in the spinal cord to disc pathology rather than inflammatory disorder. Here, we present such a rare case of concomitant thoracic disc and spinal neurosarcoidosis. Case Description: A 37-year-old male presented with progressive right lower extremity weakness and numbness. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the thoracic spinal cord revealed a T6-T7 paracentral disc eccentric to the right with T2 signal change extending from T2 to T10 level. This prompted acquiring a contrasted MRI that also depicted intramedullary enhancement around the T6-T7 disc bulge. Computed tomography scan of the chest showed mediastinal lymphadenopathy concerning for sarcoidosis. Lymph node biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of sarcoidosis, and high-dose steroid treatment was initiated. The patient had significant symptomatic improvement with steroids with full neurological recovery and improvement of his symptoms. Conclusion: While stenosis from thoracic disc disease could potentially suggest a mechanical etiology for the patient’s symptoms, attention must be paid to the imaging findings as well as the degree and extent of cord signal change and intramedullary contrast enhancement. Appropriate and timely diagnosis is essential to avoid unnecessary invasive procedures.

scholarly journals Posterior Minimally Invasive Transpedicular Approach for Giant Calcified Thoracic Disc Herniation

2020 ◽  
pp. 219256822093327 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Shedid ◽  
Zhi Wang ◽  
Ahmad Najjar ◽  
Sung-Joo Yuh ◽  
Ghassan Boubez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Minimally Invasive ◽  
Disc Herniation ◽  
Case Series ◽  
Thoracic Disc Herniation ◽  
Retrospective Case ◽  
Tubular Retractor ◽  
Posterior Surgery ◽  
Transpedicular Approach ◽  
Dural Tears ◽  
Thoracic Disc

Study Design: Retrospective case series. Objective: Posterior surgery for thoracic disc herniation was associated with increased morbidity and mortality and new minimally invasive approaches have been recommended for soft disc herniation but not for calcified central disc. The objective of this study is to describe a posterolateral microscopic transpedicular approach for central thoracic disc herniation. Methods: This is a single center retrospective review of all the cases of giant thoracic calcified disc herniation as defined by Hott et al. Presence of myelopathy, percentage of canal compromise, T2 hypersignal, ASIA score, and ambulatory status were recorded. This posterolateral technique using a tubular retractor was thoroughly described. Results: Eight patients were operated upon with a mean follow-up of 16 months. Mean canal compromise was 61%. Mean operative time was 228 minutes and mean operative bleeding was 250 mL. There were no cases of dural tear or neurologic degradation. Conclusion: This is the first report of posterior minimally invasive transpedicular approach for giant calcified disc herniation. There were neither cases of neurological deterioration nor increased rate of dural tears. This technique is thus safe and could be recommended for treatment of this rare disease.

scholarly journals Atypical Presentation of Thoracic Disc Herniation: Case Series and Review of the Literature

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Shirzadi ◽  
Doniel Drazin ◽  
Sunil Jeswani ◽  
Leah Lovely ◽  
John Liu
Keyword(s):  
Disc Herniation ◽  
Case Series ◽  
Thoracic Disc Herniation ◽  
Lower Extremity Weakness ◽  
Delay In Diagnosis ◽  
Burning Pain ◽  
Presenting Symptoms ◽  
Asymptomatic Patients ◽  
Patient Reported ◽  
Thoracic Disc

Modern imaging has revealed that thoracic disc herniation (TDH) has a prevalence of 11–37% in asymptomatic patients. Pain, sensory disturbances, myelopathy, and lower extremity weakness are the most common presenting symptoms, but other atypical extraspinal complaints, such as gastrointestinal or cardiopulmonary discomfort, may be reported. Our objective is to make providers familiar with TDH’s atypical symptoms to help avoid potential serious consequences created by a delay in diagnosis. We report the cases of two patients who each presented with atypical extraspinal symptoms secondary to a TDH. One patient presented with a chronic history of nausea, emesis, and chest tightness and MRI showed a large right paramedian disc herniation at T7-8. A second patient reported chronic constipation, buttock and leg burning pain, gait instability, and urinary frequency; an MRI of his thoracic spine demonstrated a central disc herniation at T10-11. TDH can present with vague extraspinal symptoms and unfamiliarity with these symptoms can lead to misdiagnosis with progression of the disease and unnecessary diagnostic tests and medical procedures. Therefore, TDH should be included in the differential diagnosis of patients with negative gastrointestinal, genitourinary, and cardiopulmonary system basic studies.

scholarly journals Operation of Soft or Calcified Thoracic Disc Herniations in the Full-Endoscopic Uniportal Extraforaminal Technique

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (21;1) ◽  
pp. E331-E340 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian Ruetten
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Retrospective Study ◽  
Minimally Invasive ◽  
Disc Herniation ◽  
Thoracic Spine ◽  
Surgical Trauma ◽  
Thoracic Disc Herniation ◽  
Soft Or ◽  
Disc Herniations ◽  
Thoracic Disc

Background: Surgery for thoracic disc herniation and stenosis is comparatively rare and often demanding. The goal is to achieve sufficient decompression without manipulating the spinal cord and to minimize surgical trauma and its consequences. Individual planning and various surgical techniques and approaches are required. The key factors for selecting the technique are anatomical location, consistency of the pathology, general condition of the patient, and the surgeon’s experience. Objectives: The objective of the study was the evaluation of the technical implementation and outcomes of a full-endoscopic uniportal technique via the extraforaminal approach in patients with symptomatic soft or calcified disc herniation of the thoracic spine, taking specific advantages and disadvantages and literature into consideration. Study Design: Retrospective study Setting: A center for spine surgery and pain medicine. Methods: Between 2009 and 2015, decompression was performed on 26 patients with thoracic disc herniation or stenosis with radicular or myelopathic symptoms in a full-endoscopic uniportal technique with an extraforaminal approach. No patients underwent additional posterior stabilization. Imaging and clinical data were collected in follow-up examinations for 18 months. Results: Sufficient decompression was achieved in the full-endoscopic uniportal technique in all cases. The individual selection of the respective approach made it possible to reach the target area without manipulating the spinal cord. One patient experienced deterioration of a myelopathy. No other serious complications were observed. All patients, except one, experienced regression or improvement of symptoms. No evidence of increasing instability was found in imaging. Limitations: This is a retrospective study. The limited number of cases must be considered. Conclusions: The full-endoscopic uniportal technique with an extraforaminal approach was found to be a sufficient and minimally invasive method with the known advantages of an endoscopic procedure under continuous irrigation for monosegmental disc herniations. The inclusion criteria must be taken into consideration. If they are not met, an alternative full-endoscopic approach (interlaminar, transthoracic retropleural) or decompression in a conventional method must be selected. Additional stabilization does not appear to be necessary due to the low level of trauma. Key Words: Extraforaminal approach, thoracic disc herniation, giant disc herniation, Fullendoscopic, minimally invasive, thoracic spine

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