Pharyngeal perforation: A rare complication of occipitocervical injury.

BACKGROUND: Atlantoaxial dislocation is a rare injury following high-energy trauma. We report an undescribed complication of atlantoaxial dislocation. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 75-year-old man presented with atlantoaxial dislocation and Jefferson C1 fracture after a high-energy trauma. Occipitoaxial stabilizations were performed the day after. A nasopharyngeal fistula was identified at day 5 causing a persistent epistaxis. CONCLUSION: Nasopharyngeal fistulization of C1 bony fragment is a rare complication of complex occipitocervical injury. Combined treatment with ENT surgeon should be considered.

One-year follow-up for type II odontoid process fractures in octogenarians: Is there a place for surgical management?

BACKGROUND: Type II odontoid fractures are becoming one of the most common injuries among elderly patients and are associated with increased morbidity rates. Here, we compared the safety/efficacy of conservative versus surgical treatment for type II C2 fractures and, in particular, evaluated the complications, hospital lengths of stay, and mortality rates for patients over 80 years of age. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 63 nonsurgically versus 18 surgically treated C2 fractures in patients over 80 years of age (2003-2018). Cervical computed tomography images, X-rays, and magnetic resonance images were reviewed by both a neurosurgeon and a neuroradiologist. The following patient data were included in the analysis; Glasgow Coma Scale score, injury severity score, the abbreviated injury scale scores, their comorbidities (e.g., utilizing the Charlson comorbidity index), their primary outcomes, and mortality rates (e.g., at 6 weeks and 1 year after treatment). RESULTS: Eighty-one patients were included in the study; 63 were treated conservatively and 18 underwent surgical management of type II C2 fractures. Patients averaged 87.0 ± 5.0 years of age, and their combined mortality rates were 13.6% at 6 weeks and 25.9% at 1 year. Notably, at 1 year, the mortality rates were not statistically different between the two groups: 18 (30.0%) patients from the conservatively treated group versus 3 (16.7%) patients from the surgically managed patients died indicating (e.g., using the Kaplan-Meier analysis) no survival advantage for either treatment strategy. CONCLUSION: Surgical versus conservative management of type II odontoid fractures were associated with comparable high mortality rates at 1 year.

Minimally invasive posterior percutaneous transarticular C1-C2 screws: how I do it.

BACKGROUND: Transarticular C1-C2 screw fixation, first described by Magerl, is a widely accepted used technique for C1-C2 instability with a good biomechanical stability and fusion rate. METHOD: We present a 69-year-old woman, who was diagnosed with a C2 Odontoid fracture type III and primarily treated with conservative treatment and collar. During first 2 weeks of follow-up, the patient developed cervical pain associated with C1-C2 instability. A minimally invasive posterior C1-C2 transarticular screw instrumentation with a percutaneus approach was performed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Minimally invasive approach with tubular transmuscular approach for C1-C2 transarticular screws instrumentation is safe and effective for C1-C2 instability.

Efficacy and safety of root compression of trigeminal nerve for trigeminal neuralgia without evidence of vascular compression.

OBJECTIVE: Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) surgical treatment with microvascular decompression is highly effective and safe, but for a percentage of patients who undergo this procedure, no vascular compression is found. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the long-term efficacy with trigeminal root compression of the trigeminal nerve in patients with TN refractory to medical treatment who underwent neurosurgical management by a retrosigmoid approach of the cerebellopontine angle and were found to be negative for vascular compression. METHODS: A prospective collection of clinical data on all patients with a diagnosis of idiopathic TN was conducted at our institution. A total of 277 patients with TN were treated by a keyhole retrosigmoid approach for exploration of the cerebellopontine angle between January of 2000 and August of 2010. A total of 44 patients were found to be negative for vascular compression of the trigeminal nerve; all of these patients underwent trigeminal root compression. RESULTS: We found that all patients were pain free after the procedure. There was a 27% relapse in a mean time of 10 months, but 83% of these patients were adequately controlled by medical treatment, and only 17% needed a complementary procedure for pain relief. We also found that 63% of the patients complained of a partial loss of facial sensitivity, but only 1 patient presented with a corneal ulcer. There was a 6.7% rate of significant complications. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that trigeminal root compression is a safe and effective option for patients with primary TN without vascular compression.