ABSTRACT
Background: Whipple disease (WD) is an infection caused by Tropheryma whipplei, which might present in three different forms: classical, localized, and isolated in the central nervous system (CNS). Methods: We report the result of a systematic review of the literature on WD unusually presenting with exclusively neurological symptoms, including two previously unpublished cases. A description of two cases with isolated CNS WD was performed, as well as a literature search in Cochrane, Scielo, and PubMed. Results: Two male adult patients presented with exclusively neurological symptomatology. Both magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed an intracranial mass suggestive of brain tumor. The histopathological examination was consistent with WD, with no systemic involvement. In the review of the literature, 35 cases of isolated CNS WD were retrieved. The median age at diagnosis was 43.5 (IQR 31.5-51.5). In 13 patients, the MRI showed a brain mass consistent with a brain tumor. The most common finding in the biopsy was the periodic-acid Schiff-stained foamy macrophages. Only five cases presented the pathognomonic sign of oculomasticatory myorhythmia. Thirteen cases had an adverse outcome that resulted in death during follow-up, whereas another 13 improved. The other nine patients remained stable or presented moderate improvement. Conclusion: Isolated CNS WD is a rare disease that should be considered among the differential diagnosis of CNS mass lesions. Brain biopsy is necessary to establish the diagnosis. It is stressed in the literature that an extended antibiotic course is required to prevent relapses and to control the disease.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Liposarcoma (LPS) is a rare type of tumor; they come from the adipose tissue. It is the most common type of soft-tissue sarcoma. Every type of LPS has morphological features, immunophenotypic, and molecular pathogenesis characteristics of their own. In this case, we are going to report a cerebellar metastatic disease from a well-differentiated liposarcoma (WDL) with pleomorphic component, not found in our literature research. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 72-year-old woman with progressive pain and inflammation in the left knee with functional limitation when climbing stairs. MRI shows a tumor in the vastus medialis of the left thigh. Pathology result was pleomorphic and WDL, Stage III and negative for MDM2 and CDK4. Extension study was carried out, finding nodular lesion in the right cerebellar hemisphere with mass effect and partial obliteration of the fourth ventricle, suspicious of distant disease. CONCLUSION: Cerebellar metastasis of LPS is uncommon; there are only a few cases reports with the literature reviews describing orbital or skull base metastases, but not in the cerebellum. Our case allows us to remember that neurological symptoms, no matter how subtle, in patients diagnosed with LPS, a secondary affectation of the central nervous system must be ruled out, even though it is a rare location. The findings of distant disease in LPSs, allow planning oncological treatment options and targeted radiotherapeutic.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: There are rare reports of broken surgical blades occurring during lumbar discectomy, and even fewer that discuss their retrieval. CASE DESCRIPTION: While a 54-year-old male was undergoing a lumbar discectomy, the knife blade was broken. As it was difficult to retrieve the fragment through the original incision, the patient was closed, and a postoperative angio-computerized tomography (CT) was obtained. When the CT angiogram (CTA) documented the retained fragment had become lodged near the iliac vein within the psoas muscle, a second operation for blade retrieval, consisting of a paravertebral, lateral transpsoas approach, was successfully performed. CONCLUSION: In some cases, it is difficult to retrieve a broken scalpel blade during the index surgery. When this occurs, we would recommend closing the patient, and obtaining a CTA to better document the location of the retained foreign body. Based upon these findings, a safer second stage procedure may be performed (e.g., as in this case using a paravertebral lateral transpsoas approach) to avoid undue sequelae/morbidity.
