Treatment of Cervical Perineural Cyst by the Transforaminal Epidural Steroid Injection / 대한정형외과학회잡지

Perineural cysts are usually discovered incidentally; only approximately one percent of such cysts are symptomatic. Symptomatic cervical perineural cysts, of which only five case reports have been found in the literature, are extremely rare and there is no consensus regarding treatment. When a cervical perineural cyst is discovered in a patient with cervical radiculopathy without the cause of other apparent compression, the cyst can be considered as a possible cause of cervical radiculopathy. In such cases, non-surgical conservative treatment can be considered before any surgical intervention. We reported the successful treatment of case of a 40-year-old woman with a symptomatic cervical perineural cyst by oral steroids and transforaminal epidural steroid injection.

Risk Factors Predicting New Compression Fractures in Patients with Osteoporotic Vertebral Compression Fractures

STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective study. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the risk factors associated with new compression fractures in patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: Previous studies have reported that a history of osteoporotic vertebral fractures and decreased bone mineral density were risk factors for new compression fractures. It is not certain whether vertebroplasty is a risk factor for new compression vertebral fractures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study included a total of 52 patients who were diagnosed with an osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture and could be followed up for at least 1 year. Age, sex, bone mineral density, body mass index, osteoporosis treatment, fat infiltration of the back muscles, the sagittal index, vertebroplasty, and underlying diabetes mellitus or hypertension were compared between patients who developed new compression fractures during 1 year of follow-up and those who did not. For statistical analysis, the t-test and chi-square test were used to analyz ethe relationship of each factor with osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture incidence, and multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to analyze multifactorial explanatory factors. RESULTS: No significant differences were found between the 2 groups regarding sex, underlying disease, the sagittal index, and fat infiltration of the back muscles. Patients who developed a new compression fracture were significantly older (p=0.011), had a lower body mass index (p=0.001), had lower bone mineral density (p=0.008), and were more likely to have taken osteoporosis medication for less than 6 months (including no medication, p=0.019). The logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of developing new compression fractures was significantly elevated in patients with a low body mass index (odds ratio [OR]=0.69, p=0.02), bone mineral density (OR=0.43, p=0.005), and less than 6 months of osteoporosis medication use (including no medication, OR=1.083, p=0.041). CONCLUSIONS: The risk of developing new compression fractures in patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures was associated with body mass index, bone mineral density, and having taken osteoporosis medication for less than 6 months.

Changes in Clinical Symptoms, Functions, and the Median Nerve Cross-Sectional Area at the Carpal Tunnel Inlet after Open Carpal Tunnel Release

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between clinical symptoms and cross-sectional area (CSA) of the median nerve at the carpal tunnel inlet before and after open carpal tunnel release (CTR). METHODS: Thirty-two patients (53 hands) that underwent open CTR for idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome were prospectively enrolled. Median nerve CSA at the carpal tunnel inlet was measured preoperatively and at 2 and 12 weeks after CTR by high resolution ultrasonography. The Boston carpal tunnel questionnaire (BCTQ) was also completed at these times. RESULTS: BCTQ symptom (BCTQ-S) score was significantly improved at 2 weeks postoperatively, but BCTQ function (BCTQ-F) score and CSA were significantly improved at 12 weeks postoperatively. Preoperative CSA was significantly correlated with preoperative BCTQ-S and BCTQ-F scores but was not significantly correlated with postoperative BCTQ scores or postoperative changes in BCTQ scores. Postoperative median nerve CSA was not significantly correlated with postoperative BCTQ-S or BCTQ-F scores, and postoperative changes in median nerve CSA were not significantly correlated with postoperative changes in BCTQ-S or BCTQ-F scores. CONCLUSIONS: The study shows clinical symptoms resolve rapidly after open CTR, but median nerve swelling and clinical function take several months to recover. In addition, preoperative median nerve swelling might predict preoperative severities of clinical symptoms and functional disabilities. However, postoperative reductions in median nerve swelling were not found to reflect postoperative reductions in clinical symptoms or functional disabilities.