Clinical Outcome and Influencing Factor for Repeat Lumbar Discectomy for Ipsilateral Recurrent Lumbar Disc Herniation

OBJECTIVE: Recurrent herniation following disc excision has been reported in 5-15% of patients. There have been numerous studies of recurrent disc herniation, but these have analyzed mixed patient populations. We designed this study to analyze the factors that influencing the clinical results, and efficiency of repeat discectomy for recurrent lumbar disc herniation occurring at the same level and on the same side after primary discectomy. METHODS: Between 1990 and 2011, a total of 52 patients who underwent repeat discectomy for recurrent lumbar disc herniation were retrospectively analyzed. Clinical outcomes were measured with Macnab criteria and visual analog scale (VAS score). Clinical parameters were also analyzed for influencing factors for outcome. RESULTS: Based on Macnab criteria, an excellent surgical outcome was achieved in 28 cases (54%), a good outcome in 22 cases (42%), a fair outcome in 1 case (2%), and a poor outcome in 1 case (2%). Based on VAS score, 47 of 52 patients (90%) showed more than 4 score improvement. Age, sex, diabetes mellitus, smoking, time interval between repeat and primary discectomy, duration of recurrent symptoms, and extent of disc herniation did not significantly affect Macnab criteria and VAS score. However, a traumatic event showed less VAS score improvement whereas not affecting on Macnab criteria. CONCLUSION: Conventional open lumbar discectomy performed as repeat surgery for recurrent herniation showed satisfactory results. Based on the results of this study, repeat discectomy can be recommended for the management of recurrent lumbar disc herniation. Further study is needed to evaluate factors related to the outcomes of repeat discectomy.

Primary Meningeal Melanocytoma in the Thoracic Spine: A Case Report

Meningeal melanocytoma is a rare benign melanotic tumor arising from melanocytic cells in the leptomeninges. Preoperative differential diagnosis of meningeal melanocytoma from other melanotic tumors is difficult based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Definitive diagnosis of meningeal melanocytoma from other melanotic tumors is done on the basis of histopathological and immunohistochemical analyses. The prognosis of this tumor is not always favorable with occasional local recurrence, especially in cases of subtotal gross resection. The authors report on a case of a 58-year-old man who presented with a melanocytoma located at the T7-8 level. The patient underwent on a total surgical excision for successful control of the tumor. During a follow-up period of 2 years, the patient presented no signs of recurrence. We emphasize the importance of discrimination of meningeal melanocytoma from other melanotic tumors to facilitate appropriate treatment. Complete resection is the treatment of choice for spinal melanocytoma. Radiation therapy should be reserved for those cases in which complete resection is not possible or in which there is recurrence.

Effect of Amniotic Membrane to Reduce Postlaminectomy Epidural Adhesion on a Rat Model

OBJECTIVE: Epidural fibrosis and adhesion are the main reasons for post-laminectomy sustained pain and functional disability. In this study, the authors investigate the effect of irradiated freeze-dried human amniotic membrane on reducing epidural adhesion after laminectomy on a rat model. METHODS: A total of 20 rats were divided into two groups. The group A did not receive human amniotic membrane implantation after laminectomy and group B underwent human amniotic membrane implantation after laminectomy. Gross and microscopic findings were evaluated and compared at postoperative 1, 3 and 8 weeks. RESULTS: The amount of scar tissue and tenacity were reduced grossly in group of rats with human amniotic membrane implantation (group B). On a microscopic evaluation, there were less inflammatory cell infiltration and fibroblast proliferation in group B. CONCLUSION: This experimental study shows that implantation of irradiated freeze-dried human amniotic membrane reduce epidural fibrosis and adhesion after spinal laminectomy in a rat model.

Predisposing Factors Related to Shunt-Dependent Chronic Hydrocephalus after Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

OBJECTIVE: Hydrocephalus is a common sequelae of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and patients who develop hydrocephalus after SAH typically have a worse prognosis than those who do not. This study was designed to identify factors predictive of shunt-dependent chronic hydrocephalus among patients with aneurysmal SAH, and patients who require permanent cerebrospinal fluid diversion. METHODS: Seven-hundred-and-thirty-four patients with aneurysmal SAH who were treated surgically between 1990 and 2006 were retrospectively studied. Three stages of hydrocephalus have been categorized in this paper, i.e., acute (0-3 days after SAH), subacute (4-13 days after SAH), chronic (> or =14 days after SAH). Criteria indicating the occurrence of hydrocephalus were the presence of significantly enlarged temporal horns or ratio of frontal horn to maximal biparietal diameter more than 30% in computerized tomography. RESULTS: Overall, 66 of the 734 patients (8.9%) underwent shunting procedures for the treatment of chronic hydrocephalus. Statistically significant associations among the following factors and shunt-dependent chronic hydrocephalus were observed. (1) Increased age (p < 0.05), (2) poor Hunt and Hess grade at admission (p < 0.05), (3) intraventricular hemorrhage (p < 0.05), (4) Fisher grade III, IV at admission (p < 0.05), (5) radiological hydrocephalus at admission (p < 0.05), and (6) post surgery meningitis (p < 0.05) did affect development of chronic hydrocephalus. However the presence of intracerebral hemorrhage, multiple aneurysms, vasospasm, and gender did not influence on the development of shunt-dependent chronic hydrocephalus. In addition, the location of the ruptured aneurysms in posterior cerebral circulation did not correlate with the development of shunt-dependent chronic hydrocephalus. CONCLUSION: Hydrocephalus after aneurysmal SAH seems to have a multifactorial etiology. Understanding predisposing factors related to the shunt-dependent chronic hydrocephalus may help to guide neurosurgeons for better treatment outcomes.

Spinal Intradural Extramedullary Mature Cystic Teratoma in an Adult

Spinal intradural extramedullary teratoma is a rare condition that develops more commonly in children than in adults and may be associated with spinal dysraphism. We report a rare case of adult-onset intradural extramedullary teratoma in the thoracolumbar spinal cord with no evidence of spinal dysraphism and without the history of prior spinal surgery. The patient was a 38-year-old male whose chief complaint was urinary incontinence. X-ray images of the thoracolumbar spine showed the widening of the interpedicular distance and posterior marginal erosion of the vertebral bodies and pedicles at the T11, T12, and L1 level. Magnetic resonance imagings of the lumbar spine showed a lobulated inhomogeneous high signal intradural mass (87x29x20 mm) between T11 and L1 and a high signal fluid collection at the T11 level. Laminectomy of the T11-L1 region was performed, and the mass was subtotally excised. The resected tumor was histopathologically diagnosed as a mature cystic teratoma. The patient's symptom of urinary incontinence was improved following the surgery.

Atypical Presentation of Spinal Tuberculosis Misadiagnosed as Metastatic Spine Tumor

We present a case of a 68-year-old female with an atypical form of spinal tuberculosis, which involved posterior elements with multiple foci in two noncontiguous vertebral levels. The lesions caused spastic paraparesis and urinary hesitation. There was no evidence of pulmonary or other extrapulmonary tuberculous disease. Based on clinical and radiographic findings, this atypical spinal tuberculosis was preoperatively misdiagnosed as metastatic spine tumor. The histopathologic finding confirmed tuberculosis and the patient was treated successfully with surgery and antituberculous therapy. In case of a spinal lesion of unknown origin, it is important to be aware that atypical spinal tuberculosis can mimic metastatic spine tumor and tuberculosis should always be considered.

A Clinical Analysis and Treatment of Traumatic Cervical Spine Patients

The authors reviewed 90 patients with traumatic cervical spine injury admitted to our department between January, 1993 and December, 1997. The most common age group was 21-30 years old. The male to female ratio was 7.2 : 1. Motor vehicle accident was the most frequent cause of traumatic cervical spine injury. The most common mechanism of injury was compressive and then distractive flexion. The C2 body fracture was the commonest of the vertebral body fractures and C5/6 dislocation was the most common involved level of injured vertebrae. Forty-seven of these patients were managed with conservative treatment and the remaining 43 patients underwent surgery. The conservative treatment was consisted of skeletal traction, neck collar and Halo-vest application. Of 43 patients operated, 24 patients were performed by anterior approach and 10 by posterior approach and remaining 9 patients were treated by anterior approach after posterior approach. According to Modified Frankel's grading system, the rates of neurological impr-ovement at anterior approach, posterior approach and combined approach were 79.2%, 60.0% and 66.0%, respec-tively. Difference of improvement rates did not have clinical significance. There were 76 types of associated injuries were observed in 51 patients. The most common associated injury was head trauma and surgical intervention was required in 5 patients among them. The common complications were respiratory disorder, bed sore, urinary tract infection, gastrointestinal bleeding, pin site infection in decreasing order of frequency. The most common cause of death was respiratory disorder including pneumonia, atelectasis, acute respiratory distress syndrome and pulmonary edema.

Atlantoaxial Dislocation in Down Syndrome Treated by Occipitocervical Fusion Using Threaded Steinmann Pin: A Case Report

Atlantoaxial dislocation is common in patients with Down syndrome, and an increased incidence was first noted by Tishler and Martel in 1965. Laxity of the transverse atlantal ligament is thought to be responsible for atlantoaxial dislocation, and surgical stabilization has been recommended for pateints who have instability, with or without myelopathy. Various surgical techniques and hardwares have been developed for occipitcervical fusion with varying degrees of results. The authors presents a case of Down syndrome with cervical myelopathy treated by occipitocervical fusion with an anatomically contoured threaded Steinmann-pin, which was secured to the occiput via small burr holes and to the vertebrae by sublaminar wiring, and supplemental autograft. This technique has the advantage over bone grafting, in that it affords rigid stabilization, allows early mobilization and may contribute to eventual bony fusion.

Dysembryoplastic Neuroepithelial Tumor: A Case Report

We report the case of a 12 year old boy with a dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor(DNT) of the left frontal lobe. Only recently recognized, this tumor is an uncommon neurosurgical lesion of adolescents and young adults, one with a benign clinical course and a long history of intractable partial complex seizures. DNT was first proposed by Daumas-Duport et al. and in the revised WHO histological classification, has recently been incorporated into the category of neuronal and mixed neuronal-glial tumors. Since the first description, there have been a few additional case reports of DNTs, including histological and radiological findings. Owing to the supratentorial and intracortical location of this tumor, and its association with cortical dysplasia, the onset of seizure is often early, either in childhood or adolescence. Unlike other dysgenetic lesions and some glial tumors, the prognosis after resection is thought-as far as seizure control is concerned-to be excellent. Identification of these neoplasms is of obvious therapeutic importance because it spares these young patients the deleterious long term effects of radio-or chemotherapy.

Cellular Schwannoma of the Cervical Spine in an Infant: A Case Report

Cellular schwannoma is a very rare benign tumor involving peripheral nerves, mimicking malignant nerve sheath tumor in histological appearance. It is a clinico-pathological variant of benign schwannoma characterized by a high cellularity, increased mitotic figures and occasional presence of bone destruction. A 6-month-old female patient was admitted with progressive quadriparesis. Magnetic resonance imaging of the cervical spine showed a well-enhancing extramedullary mass on the C4 to C6 area. Total laminectomy was performed on C4-7, and intradural extramedullary tumor was removed. Histologically, the tumor was composed of proliferated spindle cells. Most of the tumor was composed of Antoni A area with hypercellular spindle cells arranged in fascicular pattern. The tumor cells showed mild atypism with mitotic figure upto 4/10HPF and diffuse, strong S-100 protein immunostaining. The patient was improved postoperatively.

The Effect of Barbiturate in Brain Protection under Mild Hypothermia During Temporary Vessel Occlusion in Aneurysm Surgery

Temporary vessel occulusion is a useful technique which facilitates aneurysmal dissection and clipping, and reduces the risk of intraoperative aneurysal rupture; It may, however, result in postoperative stroke, and many authors have therefore used various agents for brain protection. Among these, barbiturate is well known. This study was undertaken to retrospectively review the effect of barbiturate on brain protection during short periods of ischemia. It involved patients with 146 anterior circulation aneurysms, who were divided into two groups: 43 who received intraoperative barbiturate burst suppression with sodium thiopental during temporary vessel occlusion and the remaining 103, who did not. Doses of thiopental 5mg/kg, usually singly or occasionally repeated at 10-mimute interval, were administered. All patients underwent general anesthesia using volatile isoflurane; mild hypothermia(32-34degreesC), mild hypocarbia(30-35mmHg), and normotension of 110-130mmHg were noted prior to permanent clipping, and mild hypertension(130-150mmHg) after clipping. In some cases, intraoperative scalp electroencep-halography was monitored. Clinical, radiological, and overall infarction were assessed postoperatively, and statistical analysis was perfomed. With regard to Hunt-Hess grades, number of episodes of occlusion, duration of temporary clip application lasting less than 13 minutes, and period of post-subarachnoid hemorrhage, no significant differences were seen between the two groups. Patients in whom barbiturate burst was suppressed showed a 4-hours delay in mean anesthetic recovery time, and after thiopental sodium was injected intravenously, systolic and mean arterial pressure(MAP), averaging 10-20mmHg, were lowered than in those without this suppression. In conclusion, we had found that under mild hypothermic anesthesia involving less than 13 minutes of temporary vessel occlusion, protection of the brain by barbiturate was not beneficial.

Surgical Planning for Thoracolumar Spine Fracture

Many of the thoracolumbar spine fracture may be managed conservatively by postural reduction. But postural reduction alone cannot treat all the patient with thoracolumbar spine fracture properly. Recently, more patients with thoracolumbar spine fracture are managed surgically with the advance of surgical technique and instrument. Surgery may be performed by either anterior or posterior approach according to many factors. Generally initial management of patient with thoracolumbar spine fracture is conservative and surgery is delayed for spinal fusion, but early surgery with decompression of spinal cord and fusion of the vertebral body seems to be more proper in unstable fracture with compression of spinal cord by bony fragment and incomplete neurological deficit. Authors analyzed 52 cases of thoracolumbar spine fracture and made a proper management plan and proper surgical approach.

Monoclonal antibodies and DNA sequence of 120 kd antigen ofhelicobacter pylori

No abstract available.

Development of a diagnostic method of helicobacter pylori infection: II. detection of helicobacter pylori using polymerase chain reaction

No abstract available.

Development of a diagnostic method of helicobacter pylori infection: II. detection of helicobacter pylori using polymerase chain reaction

No abstract available.

Production of the monoclonal antibody and the genomic library of helicobacter pylori

No abstract available.

Development of epidemiological method for the Helicobacter pylori by polymerase chain reaction

The polymerase chain reaction was used to develop a method for the detection of Helicobacter pylori, a causative agent of gastritis, as well as for the elucidation of its mode of transmission. A genomic library of Helicobacter pylori DNA in Escherichia coli JM109 was constructed by cloning Hind III-digested DNA fragments into plasmid vector pUC18. The nucleotide sequences from seven recombinant clones were determined and five sets of oligonucleotide primers were synthesized on the basis of the sequences from five clones (B4, B9, B10, C15 and I22). The PCR amplifications with these primers were performed using DNA samples from five strains of Helicobacter pylori, two Campylobacter spp. and eleven species of enteric bacteria. Amplifications of the target DNA fragments in all of 5 strains of Helicobacter pylori were observed from the PCR with primers derived from clone B4, B9, C15 and I22. When the specificity was checked with the DNA samples from 13 other bacteria as template DNA for the PCR, specific amplification that produced the correct size of the target DNA of Helicobacter pylori was shown only in the PCR with primers derived from clone B9 and C15. The detection limit in the PCR amplification, determined by the heat-lysis method, was 500 cells of Helicobacter pylori.

Omental Transpositon to the Chronically Injured Human Spinal Cord:Preliminary Report

The omentum has been used over the years for a variety of clinical problems. Recently it has shown that placing the omemtum on the brain and spinal cord can lead to an extensive development of vascular connections at the omental/CNS interface. Success with omental transposition to the human brain has led to increasing intreast in placing the omentum onto the human spinal cord. One paraplegic patient was chosen to enter into a feasibility study to see if omental transposition to their spianl cord might result in clinical benefit. The length of time from injury was about 21 months respecively. This patient had little, if any, motor and sensory function below umbilicus level. The operation required surgical lengthening of the pedicled omentum followed by its placement into a subcutaneous tunnel created backward along the lateral chest wall up to T-10, 11 level. An extensive thoracic laminectomy was then performed followed bya wide opening of the dura. In our case the cord showed segmental shrinkage of the spinal cord consistent with previous trauma. The omentum was laid directly onto the underlying spinal cord. Our observation for five months has shown that placement of the omentum onto the chronically injured spinal cord allowed for subsequent improvement in neuroelectrical activity, as manifested by reproducible somatosensory evoked potentials, and, more importantly, in moter function. It is considered that placing the omentum directly upon the brain or spinal cord may have the effect of either improving local vascular perfusion or, possibly, exerting some biochemicals(neurotransmitter), or as yet unknown, influence. But further observation is warranted to determine whether this improvement will be continued and will be observed in another cases.