scholarly journals Intradural Lipoma at the Craniocervical Junction Presenting with Progressing Hemiparesis: A Case Report

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 183-188
Author(s):  
Takuro Inoue ◽  
Hisao Hirai ◽  
Ayako Shima ◽  
Fumio Suzuki ◽  
Masayuki Matsuda ◽  
...  

Intradural spinal lipomas are rare in an adult population. They are mostly asymptomatic and usually associated with spinal dysraphism in a pediatric population. We report a rare case of spinal lipoma without dysraphism and with progressing hemiparesis. A 60-year-old woman had incidental lipoma at the craniocervical junction observed for more than 5 years. Recently, she developed right-sided hemiparesis and sensory disturbance. Radiological studies revealed a large lipoma compressing the dorsal medulla and C1–C2 spinal cord. Standard midline suboccipital craniotomy and C1 laminectomy were performed, and the lipoma was removed subtotally. The lipoma showed severe adhesion to the dorsal medulla and C1 spinal cord; therefore, the excision was limited as internal debulking. Her neurological deficit subsided within 6 months after the decompressive surgery. Considering the benign nature of lipoma, internal decompression is a reasonable management for this lesion.

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 319-325 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy K. Bruzek ◽  
Jordan Starr ◽  
Hugh J. L. Garton ◽  
Karin M. Muraszko ◽  
Cormac O. Maher ◽  
...  

OBJECTIVEThe nature of the relationship between spinal cord syrinx and tethered cord is not well known. It is unclear if surgical cord untethering results in resolution or improvement of an associated syrinx. The objective of this study was to report the response of spinal cord syrinx to surgical cord untethering.METHODSThe authors retrospectively reviewed all patients with a syrinx and tethered cord who presented to a single institution over an 11-year interval. Patients with open neural tube defects were excluded. Thirty-one patients were identified, 25 of whom had both clinical and imaging follow-up after surgery. Patients were grouped according to etiology of the tethered cord. Clinical outcomes and syrinx characteristics were recorded.RESULTSOf the 25 patients with tethered cord, 68% (n = 17) were male. The average age at presentation was 2.5 years (0–10.1 years) and age at surgery was 3.7 years (range 1 day to 17 years). Etiologies of tethered cord were lipomyelomeningocele (n = 8), thickened/fatty filum (n = 7), intradural lipoma (n = 5), myelocystocele (n = 2), meningocele (n = 2), and diastematomyelia (n = 1). Twenty-three of the patients underwent primary untethering, whereas 2 patients had received untethering previously at another institution. The average syrinx length and width prior to surgery were 4.81 vertebral levels (SD 4.35) and 5.19 mm (SD 2.55 mm), respectively. Conus level ranged from L1 to S3. Patients were followed for an average of 8.4 years (1.35–15.85 years). Overall there was no significant change in syrinx length or width postoperatively; the average syrinx length increased by 0.86 vertebral levels (SD 4.36) and width decreased by 0.72 mm (SD 2.94 mm). Seven of 25 patients had improvement in at least one presenting symptom, including scoliosis, weakness, bowel/bladder dysfunction, and pain. Eight patients had stable presenting symptoms. Six patients were asymptomatic and 5 patients had new or worsening symptoms, which included scoliosis, pain, or sensory changes.CONCLUSIONSAlthough some syrinxes improved after surgery for tethered cord, radiological improvement was not consistent and did not appear to be associated with change in clinical symptoms. The decision to surgically untether a cord should be focused on the clinical symptoms and not the presence of a syrinx alone. Further studies are needed to confirm this finding.


2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 279-284 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmed Mansour ◽  
Toshiki Endo ◽  
Tomoo Inoue ◽  
Kenichi Sato ◽  
Hidenori Endo ◽  
...  

The authors report the case of a 78-year-old man with a craniocervical junction epidural arteriovenous fistula who presented with subarachnoid hemorrhage from a ruptured anterior spinal artery (ASA) aneurysm. Because endovascular embolization was difficult, a posterolateral approach was chosen and a novel endoscopic fluorescence imaging system was utilized to clip the aneurysm. The fluorescence imaging system provided clear and magnified views of the ventral spinal cord simultaneously with the endoscope-integrated indocyanine green videoangiography, which helped safely obliterate the ASA aneurysm. With the aid of this novel imaging system, surgeons can appreciate and manipulate complex vascular pathologies of the ventral spinal cord through a posterolateral approach, even when the lesion is closely related to the ASA.


2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Qurratulain Chundriger ◽  
Muhammad Usman Tariq ◽  
Jamshid Abdul-Ghafar ◽  
Arsalan Ahmed ◽  
Nasir Ud Din

Abstract Background Kaposiform Hemangioendothelioma (KHE) is a rare vascular tumor of intermediate malignant potential which shows locally aggressive growth but only rarely metastasizes. It is mostly considered to be a tumor of pediatric population but its occurrence in the adults is not uncommon as once considered. Histologically, KHE can mimic other soft tissue neoplasms of different behaviors (e.g. Kaposi Sarcoma, hemangioma) and establishing the correct diagnosis is important for appropriate treatment. Herein, we describe the clinicopathological features of 8 cases of KHE which will be helpful in making their diagnosis. Methods We reviewed pathology reports, microscopy glass slides and obtained follow up information about 8 cases of KHE which were diagnosed at our institution from January 2008 till June 2020. Immunohistochemical stain for HHV8 was also performed. Results Age ranged from 7 months to 25 years. Seven patients were less than 20 years of age and one patient was 25 years old. Equal gender distribution was observed. Extremities were the most common sites of involvement, followed by head and neck, pancreas and ischiorectal region. 2 cases were resection specimen and all others were incisional biopsies. The largest tumor size was 5.5 cm in one of the resections. The incisional/fragmented tissues were all less than 5 cm in aggregate. Most cases showed predominance of nodular growth and a minor component of spindle cell population along with lymphangiomatosis like vascular channels, with evidence of microthrombi in 2 cases. Few multinucleated giant cells were observed in 2 cases. None of the cases exhibited significant nuclear atypia or mitotic activity. One of the cases arising in dermis showed underlying bone involvement. HHV8 was negative in 7/7 cases. Conclusions KHE can also involve adult population and it should always be considered in the differential diagnoses of a vascular lesion. Presence of multinucleated giant cells is a rare finding. Knowledge about histological features and potential mimics is helpful in avoiding misdiagnosis.


2008 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 85-105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan K. Dishop ◽  
George B. Mallory ◽  
Frances V. White

Lung transplantation offers life-saving and life-extending treatment for children and adolescents with congenital and acquired forms of pulmonary and pulmonary vascular disease, for whom medical therapy is ineffective or insufficient for sustained response. This review summarizes the pathology related to lung transplantation for the practicing pediatric pathologist and also highlights aspects of lung transplantation unique to the pediatric population. Clinical issues related to availability of organs, candidate eligibility, surgical technique, and postoperative monitoring are discussed. Pathologic evaluation of routine surveillance transbronchial biopsies requires attention to acute cellular rejection, opportunistic infection, and other forms of acute and resolving lung injury. These findings are correlated in some cases with endobronchial biopsies and bronchoalveolar lavage as adjunctive tools in surveillance. Open or thoracoscopic biopsies also have diagnostic utility in cases with acute or chronic graft deterioration of uncertain etiology. Future challenges in pediatric lung transplantation are similar to those in the adult population, with continued efforts focused on prolonging graft survival, prevention of bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome due to chronic cellular rejection, and evaluation of humoral rejection.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafael Peñalver Penedo ◽  
Marta Rupérez Lucas ◽  
Luis Antonio Álvarez-Sala Walther ◽  
Alicia Torregrosa Benavent ◽  
María Luisa Casas Losada ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Midregional-proadrenomedullin (MR-proADM) is a useful prognostic peptide in severe infectious pathologies in the adult population. However, there are no studies that analyze its utility in febrile urinary tract infection (fUTI) in children. An accurate biomarker would provide an early detection of patients with kidney damage, avoiding other invasive tests like renal scintigraphy scans. Our objective is to study the usefulness of MR-proADM as a biomarker of acute and chronic renal parenchymal damage in fUTI within the pediatric population. Methods A prospective cohort study was conducted in pediatric patients with fUTI between January 2015 and December 2018. Plasma and urine MR-proADM levels were measured at admission in addition to other laboratory parameters. After confirmation of fUTI, renal scintigraphy scans were performed during the acute and follow-up stages. A descriptive study has been carried out and sensitivity, specificity and ROC curves for MR-proADM, C-reactive protein, and procalcitonin were calculated. Results 62 pediatric patients (34 female) were enrolled. Scintigraphy showed acute pyelonephritis in 35 patients (56.5%). Of those patients, the median of plasmatic MR-proADM (P-MR-proADM) showed no differences compared to patients without pyelonephritis. 7 patients (11.3%) developed renal scars (RS). Their median P-MR-proADM levels were 1.07 nmol/L (IQR 0.66–1.59), while in patients without RS were 0.48 nmol/L (0.43–0.63) (p < 0.01). The AUC in this case was 0.92 (95% CI 0.77–0.99). We established an optimal cut-off point at 0.66 nmol/L with sensitivity 83.3% and specificity 81.8%. Conclusion MR-ProADM has demonstrated a poor ability to diagnose pyelonephritis in pediatric patients with fUTI. However, P-MR-proADM proved to be a very reliable biomarker for RS prediction.


Author(s):  
Vijayveer Singh ◽  
Sharad Thanvi

AbstractPenetrating spinal cord injuries (PSCI) in cervical region are extremely rare in pediatric population. Most injuries in pediatric population are accidental due to gunshot or a stab injury with a sharp or pointed object. Gun shots may result into a severe wound which is usually fatal and may result in death, quadriplegia, or serious long-term disability. Stab injuries are less severe and may result in neurological sequalae. In this paper, an unusual case of pediatric arrow shot partial cervical cord injury is reported which was managed by aggressive neurosurgical management. The arrow lodged in the cervical cord was very near to the vertebral artery leading to parapariesis which recovered well without any complications. Diagnostic imaging at admission included radiographs, computed tomography (CT), and CT angiography of the cervical region. The patient underwent early surgical intervention with removal of foreign body from the cord and subsequent dural suturing.


Author(s):  
Brendan Sorichetti ◽  
Julie Pauwels ◽  
Thomas Jacobs ◽  
Neil Chadha ◽  
Emelie Kozak ◽  
...  

Otolaryngology involves the treatment of patients with diseases and disorders of the ear, nose, throat (ENT), and related structures of the head and neck. Many medical students in Canada have limited experiences in ENT and a vast majority of these students go on to pursue a career as primary care physicians. Physicians at a primary care facility classified patient’s visits as either being “ENT” related or not, to assess the amount of ENT related concerns they typically encounter. The data was collected separately in the summer and winter months to assess any seasonal variability. One in eight patient encounters presented with an ENT related concern. The percentage of ENT related symptom presentation visits in the pediatric population for both data collection periods (29%) was more than three times that of the adult population (9%). The rate of ENT symptom presentation in both adult and pediatric populations was not affected by seasonality. Primary care physicians will encounter new patients presenting with ENT related concerns quite frequently. This is especially true in the pediatric patient population. Increased ENT medical education is both necessary and essential for undergraduate medical students, residents, and primary care physicians.


Author(s):  
Petra M. Klinge ◽  
Abigail McElroy ◽  
John E. Donahue ◽  
Thomas Brinker ◽  
Ziya L. Gokaslan ◽  
...  

OBJECTIVE The craniocervical junction (CCJ) is anatomically complex and comprises multiple joints that allow for wide head and neck movements. The thecal sac must adjust to such movements. Accordingly, the thecal sac is not rigidly attached to the bony spinal canal but instead tethered by fibrous suspension ligaments, including myodural bridges (MDBs). The authors hypothesized that pathological spinal cord motion is due to the laxity of such suspension bands in patients with connective tissue disorders, e.g., hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS). METHODS The ultrastructure of MDBs that were intraoperatively harvested from patients with Chiari malformation was investigated with transmission electron microscopy, and 8 patients with EDS were compared with 8 patients without EDS. MRI was used to exclude patients with EDS and craniocervical instability (CCI). Real-time ultrasound was used to compare the spinal cord at C1–2 of 20 patients with EDS with those of 18 healthy control participants. RESULTS The ultrastructural damage of the collagen fibrils of the MDBs was distinct in patients with EDS, indicating a pathological mechanical laxity. In patients with EDS, ultrasound revealed increased cardiac pulsatory motion and irregular displacement of the spinal cord during head movements. CONCLUSIONS Laxity of spinal cord suspension ligaments and the associated spinal cord motion disorder are possible pathogenic factors for chronic neck pain and headache in patients with EDS but without radiologically proven CCI.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-3
Author(s):  
Samuel H. Cho ◽  
Timothy Fritz ◽  
Lynn J. Cronin ◽  
Stephen D. Cohle

Cardiac fibromas are benign primary tumors composed of connective tissue and fibroblasts. These uncommon tumors are primarily found in the pediatric population, and their prevalence among the adult population is exceedingly rare. We report a case of an adult with nonspecific symptoms, who was subsequently found to have a solitary mass located in the left ventricle. This case highlights an unusual finding in an adult who through various imaging modalities, surgical excision, and immunohistological analysis was found to have a cardiac fibroma.


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