Correlation Between Duration From Injury and Bone Mineral Density in Individuals With Spinal Cord Injury

Objective@#To investigate the correlation between bone mineral density (BMD) and duration of injury in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). @*Methods@#Patients with SCI who visited the outpatient department between January 2009 and January 2019 were enrolled. Patients’ most recent dual energy X-ray absorptiometry images were reviewed. According to the 2007 International Society for Clinical Densitometry guidelines, vertebrae with a local structural change were excluded when deriving spine BMD. If one or no vertebra is suitable for evaluation, spine BMD was judged as “improper for assessment”. Correlation analysis was performed between duration from injury and BMD Z-scores of the hip and spine. @*Results@#Among 83 individuals with SCI, the spines of 44 were judged as improper for assessment. The correlation analysis showed a significant negative relationship between the duration from injury and femur neck BMD (r=-0.40, p<0.01) and total proximal femur BMD (r=-0.39, p<0.01). However, no significant correlation was found between the duration from injury and spine BMD Z-score. @*Conclusion@#The duration of SCI correlated with hip BMD, but not with spine BMD. Further, more than half of the individuals with SCI could not undergo spinal assessment due to local structural changes. Therefore, spine BMD measurement is not an appropriate method for predicting future fracture risk in those with SCI.

Subtle Dysphagia as an Initial Presentation of Hidden Malignancy: A Report of 2 Cases / 대한연하장애학회지

Subtle dysfphagia, which is increased post-swallowing remnants, is a frequent finding in the elderly with various etiologies. These changes in swallowing are frequently overlooked by physicians. On the other hand, subtle changes evident on a videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS) may suggest hidden disease. Therefore, clinicians should evaluate incidental dysphagia. Case 1: A 65-year-old man with no relevant medical history, presented with dysphagia and residual sensation during meals. VFSS showed moderate post-swallowing remnants in the vallecular fossa and pyriformis sinus. Further examination revealed prostate cancer with multiple bone metastases including the skull. Case 2: A 60-year-old man complained of residual sensation after swallowing, which started 2 months ago. He had a history of lung cancer. Pharyngeal residue was observed on VFSS. A brain metastasis was observed on MRI. Post-swallowing residue is often neglected or overlooked by clinicians who regard them as the features of aging. The present cases show that mild dysphagia with increased post-swallowing remnants may be an initial presentation of a hidden malignancy with metastasis. Physicians should consider unexplained dysphagia or tongue atrophy as possible initial presentations of hidden malignancies.

Botulinum Toxin Type A Injection for Neuropathic Pain in a Patient With a Brain Tumor: A Case Report

Neuropathic pain is usually managed pharmacologically, rather than with botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A). However, medications commonly fail to relieve pain effectively or have intolerable side effects. We present the case of a 62-year-old man diagnosed with an intracranial chondrosarcoma, which was removed surgically and treated with radiation therapy. He suffered from neuropathic pain despite combined pharmacological therapy with gabapentin, amitriptyline, tramadol, diazepam, and duloxetine because of adverse effects. BTX-A (100 units) was injected subcutaneously in the most painful area in the posterior left thigh. Immediately after the injection, his pain decreased significantly from 6/10 to 2/10 on a visual analogue scale. Pain relief lasted for 12 weeks. This case report describes intractable neuropathic pain caused by a brain tumor that was treated with subcutaneous BTX-A, which is a useful addition for the management of neuropathic pain related to a brain tumor.