Bilateral vertebral artery occlusion after traumatic complete disruption of the cervical spine associated with ankylosing spondylitis.

BACKGROUND: Bilateral vertebral artery occlusion is an uncommon and mortal injury that could be seen after high-energy traumas. We illustrate an extreme case of bilateral vertebral artery occlusion following traumatic cervical disruption with complete spinal cord injury in a patient with ankylosing spondylitis. A 49-year-old male was admitted to our emergency department after a motor vehicle accident. The American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale was a complete A grade. Computed tomography (CT) scan of the cervical region revealed complete disruption between C2 and C3 levels. Magnetic resonance imaging showed apparent compression and narrow calibration of the spinal cord. CT angiography demonstrated occlusion of the bilateral vertebral arteries. Because of the neurological status of the patient, extensive hematoma, and edema at the region, no surgical intervention could be planned. The patient died on the second day of his hospitalization. Only fourteen cases of bilateral vertebral artery occlusion following blunt cervical spine traumas have been reported to date. They have a possibility to cause vertebrobasilar ischemic events with a poor prognosis of morbidity and mortality. The gold standard of diagnosis is the catheter angiography, but also CT angiography has close sensitivity and specificity. The treatment strategies of vertebral artery occlusion are still unclear.

A Comparison of the Surgical Outcomes of Laminoplasty and Laminectomy with Fusion in the Treatment of Multilevel Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

AIM: To compare the effectiveness of laminoplasty and laminectomy with fusion in the treatment of patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM). MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study retrospectively reviewed 52 patients diagnosed with CSM who underwent either laminoplasty (LP group) or laminectomy with fusion (LF group). The preoperative and postoperative clinical outcomes were evaluated using Cobb?s angle of cervical lordosis, visual analogue scale (VAS) and modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association (mJOA) scores, and radiographs showing the antero-posterior diameter and area of the spinal canal. RESULTS: The mean age of the LP group was 60.12 years, while that of the LF group was 63.84 years. The pre- and postoperative mean mJOA scores were 11.46 ± 1.27 and 15.27 ± 0.87, respectively, in the LP group and 10.15 ± 1.89 and 14.92 ± 1.23, respectively, in the LF group. The pre- and postoperative Cobb angles were 16.22 ± 6.36° and 14.45 ± 4.50°, respectively, in the LP group and 14.39 ± 5.34° and 15.10 ± 6.21°, respectively, in the LF group. Recovery rates were 58.26% and 60.76% in the LP and LF groups, respectively. The mJOA scores, antero-posterior diameter and area improved significantly after surgery in both groups, while the Cobb angle increased in the LF group and decreased in the LP group. CONCLUSION: Laminoplasty and laminectomy with fusion improved neurological functions in patients diagnosed with CSM. Laminectomy with fusion should be the preferred choice when treating patients with preoperative axial pain as, despite expanding the spinal canal successfully, laminoplasty can also worsen the pain. However, laminectomy with fusion (except for OPLL) should not be the treatment of choice in a mobile spine as it severely restricts neck movements and impairs the Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) of the patient. In the absence of kyphotic deformity, laminoplasty should be the preffered method for treatment.

The effects of clenbuterol on cerebral vasospasm in an experimental rat model of subarachnoid hemorrhage.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the possible therapeutic effects of clenbuterol on cerebral vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) in rats. METHODS: Eighteen male albino Wistar rats, each weighing 200-250 g, were randomized into three groups; Group 1 (Control group) (n = 6) having no SAH and no treatment; Group 2 (Sham group) (n = 6) having only SAH and Group 3 (Experimental group) (n = 6) having SAH treated with clenbuterol. Group 2 has been accepted as sham group to the experimental group. Experimental SAH was induced using a modified rat double hemorrhage model. Clenbuterol was administered twice daily in 12-hour intervals for three days at a dose of 0,1 mg/kg/day. The luminal diameter of the basilar artery was measured on each section with an optic micrometer by an experienced pathologist blinded to the groups. RESULTS: Mean basilar artery diameters were found to be different between the three groups (p < 0.001). Mean value of Group 2 was significantly lower than that of Group 1 (p < 0.001). While mean value of Group 3 was significantly greater than that of Group 2 (p = 0.001), Groups1 and 3 were found to be similar (p = 0242). CONCLUSION: Clenbuterol has favorable effects in the treatment of rat cerebral vasospasm (CVS). Further investigations are needed to evaluate both molecular effects and to find out effective treatment dose of clenbuterol on CVS.

Spinal cord compression caused by vertebral hemangioma being symptomatic during pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: Hemangioma is one of the most common benign tumors of the spine, and it remains silent in the vast majority of subjects afflicted. Pregnancy is a known risk factor for symptomatic conversion of the previously silent vertebral hemangiomas. However, the occurrence is rare with only 26 cases reported in the English medical literature. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 22-year-old woman in her 36th week of gestation presented with acute onset of upper back pain and progressive paraplegia. Imaging studies revealed a T4 vertebral hemangioma, which involved the vertebral body, pedincules, transverse, and spinous process with a focal extradural extension of soft tissue component. She underwent emergent cesarean delivery and endovascular embolization, respectively. Her symptoms and neurologic deficits improved quickly. Her complaints restarted 2 years after embolization. Surgical treatment which consists of intraoperative vertebraplasty and segmental fixation was performed. The patient's postoperative recovery was excellent. CONCLUSION: According to literature review and our patient's outcome, pregnancy may induce neurologic symptoms and signs in silent spinal hemangiomas. The way of management is decided by whether the neurologic deficits depend on the deformity caused by hemangioma or some other factors including vascular insufficiency.