The association between lumbar paraspinal muscle functional cross-sectional area on MRI and regional volumetric bone mineral density measured by quantitative computed tomography.

Osteosarcopenia is a common condition among elderly and postmenopausal female patients. Site-specific bone mineral density is more predictive of bone-related complications. Few studies have investigated muscle-bone associations. Our results demonstrated that in women, significant positive associations between paraspinal muscles FCSA and vBMD exist at different lumbosacral levels. These regional differences should be considered when interpreting bone-muscle associations in the lumbar spine. INTRODUCTION: There is increasing evidence between bone and muscle volume associations. Previous studies have demonstrated comorbidity between osteoporosis and sarcopenia. Recent studies showed that sarcopenic subjects had a fourfold higher risk of concomitant osteoporosis compared to non-sarcopenic individuals. Although site-specific bone mineral density (BMD) assessments were reported to be more predictive of bone-related complications after spinal fusions than BMD assessments in general, there are few studies that have investigated level-specific bone-muscle interactions. The aim of this study is to investigate the associations between muscle functional cross-sectional area (FCSA) on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and site-specific quantitative computed tomography (QCT) volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) in the lumbosacral region among spine surgery patients. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed a prospective institutional database of posterior lumbar fusion patients. Patients with available MRI undergoing posterior lumbar fusion were included. Muscle measurements and FCSA were conducted and calculated utilizing a manual segmentation and custom-written program at the superior endplate of the L3-L5 vertebrae level. vBMD measurements were performed and calculated utilizing a QCT pro software at L1-L2 levels and bilateral sacral ala. We stratified by sex for all analyses. RESULTS: A total of 105 patients (mean age 61.5 years and 52.4% females) were included. We found that female patients had statistically significant lower muscle FCSA than male patients. After adjusting for age and body mass index (BMI), there were statistically significant positive associations between L1-L2 and S1 vBMD with L3 psoas FCSA as well as sacral ala vBMD with L3 posterior paraspinal and L5 psoas FCSA. These associations were not found in males. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrated that in women, significant positive associations between the psoas and posterior paraspinal muscle FCSA and vBMD exist in different lumbosacral levels, which are independent of age and BMI. These regional differences should be considered when interpreting bone and muscle associations in the lumbar spine.

Postoperative decrease of regional volumetric bone mineral density measured by quantitative computed tomography after lumbar fusion surgery in adjacent vertebrae.

We investigated the effect of posterior lumbar fusion surgery on the regional volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) measured by quantitative computed tomography. Surgery negatively affected the regional vBMD in adjacent levels. Interbody fusion was independently associated with vBMD decline and preoperative epidural steroid injections (ESIs) were associated with less postoperative vBMD decline. INTRODUCTION: Few studies investigate postoperative BMD changes after lumbar fusion surgery utilizing quantitative computed tomography (QCT). Additionally, it remains unclear what preoperative and operative factors contribute to postoperative BMD changes. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of lumbar fusion surgery on regional volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) in adjacent vertebrae and to identify potential modifiers for postoperative BMD change. METHODS: The data of patients undergoing posterior lumbar fusion with available pre- and postoperative CTs were reviewed. The postoperative changes in vBMD in the vertebrae one or two levels above the upper instrumented vertebra (UIV+1, UIV+2) and one level below the lower instrumented vertebra (LIV+1) were analyzed. As potential contributing factors, history of ESI, and the presence of interbody fusion, as well as various demographic/surgical factors, were included. RESULTS: A total of 90 patients were included in the study analysis. Mean age (±SD) was 62.1 ± 11.7. Volumetric BMD (±SD) in UIV+1 was 115.4 ± 36.9 mg/cm3 preoperatively. The percent vBMD change in UIV+1 was - 10.5 ± 12.9% (p < 0.001). UIV+2 and LIV+1 vBMD changes showed similar trends. After adjusting with the interval between surgery and the secondary CT, non-Caucasian race, ESI, and interbody fusion were independent contributors to postoperative BMD change in UIV+1. CONCLUSIONS: Posterior lumbar fusion surgery negatively affected the regional vBMDs in adjacent levels. Interbody fusion was independently associated with vBMD decline. Preoperative ESIs were associated with less postoperative vBMD decline, which was most likely a result of a preoperative decrease in vBMD due to ESIs.

A reliable measurement for identifying a lumbosacral transitional vertebra with a solid bony bridge on a single-slice midsagittal MRI or plain lateral radiograph.

The purpose of this study was to devise a simple but reliable radiological method of identifying a lumbosacral transitional vertebra (LSTV) with a solid bony bridge on sagittal MRI, which could then be applied to a lateral radiograph. The vertical mid-vertebral angle (VMVA) and the vertical anterior vertebral angle (VAVA) of the three most caudal segments of the lumbar spine were measured on MRI and/or on a lateral radiograph in 92 patients with a LSTV and 94 controls, and the differences per segment (Diff-VMVA and Diff-VAVA) were calculated. The Diff-VMVA of the two most caudal vertebrae was significantly higher in the control group (25° (sd 8) than in patients with a LSTV (type 2a+b: 16° (SD 9), type 3a+b: -9° (SD 10), type 4: -5° (SD 7); p < 0.001). A Diff-VMVA of ≤ +10° identified a LSTV with a solid bony bridge (type 3+4) with a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 89% on MRI and a sensitivity of 94% and a specificity of 74% on a lateral radiograph. A sensitivity of 100% could be achieved with a cut-off value of 28° for the Diff-VAVA, but with a lower specificity (76%) on MRI than with Diff-VMVA. Using this simple method (Diff-VMVA ≤ +10°), solid bony bridging of the posterior elements of a LSTV, and therefore the first adjacent mobile segment, can be easily identified without the need for additional imaging.

Clinical predictors of surgical outcome in cervical spondylotic myelopathy: an analysis of 248 patients.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical predictors of surgical outcome in patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM). We reviewed a consecutive series of 248 patients (71 women and 177 men) with CSM who had undergone surgery at our institution between January 2000 and October 2010. Their mean age was 59.0 years (16 to 86). Medical records, office notes, and operative reports were reviewed for data collection. Special attention was focused on pre-operative duration and severity as well as post-operative persistence of myelopathic symptoms. Disease severity was graded according to the Nurick classification. Our multivariate logistic regression model indicated that Nurick grade 2 CSM patients have the highest chance of complete symptom resolution (p < 0.001) and improvement to normal gait (p = 0.004) following surgery. Patients who did not improve after surgery had longer duration of myelopathic symptoms than those who did improve post-operatively (17.85 months (1 to 101) vs 11.21 months (1 to 69); p = 0.002). More advanced Nurick grades were not associated with a longer duration of symptoms (p = 0.906). Our data suggest that patients with Nurick grade 2 CSM are most likely to improve from surgery. The duration of myelopathic symptoms does not have an association with disease severity but is an independent prognostic indicator of surgical outcome.

Subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus induced or exacerbated by terbinafine: a report of 5 cases.

BACKGROUND: Subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus is a nonscarring, non-atrophy-producing photosensitive cutaneous disorder. Half of the patients have 4 or more of the criteria for classification as systemic lupus erythematosus. In some patients, drugs induce or exacerbate the cutaneous disease. OBSERVATION: We describe 5 patients who had either an exacerbation or a new onset of subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus while taking terbinafine for presumed onychomycosis. CONCLUSION: In general, terbinafine is a safe drug, but perhaps patients with known lupus erythematosus or photosensitivity are predisposed to drug-induced or drug-exacerbated disease.

Epidermolysis bullosa acquisita responsive to dapsone therapy.

BACKGROUND: Epidermolysis bullosa acquisita (EBA) is a chronic subepidermal blistering disease that is frequently resistant to therapy. OBJECTIVE: A 58-year-old man who had a one-year history of a bullous eruption involving the hands, forearms, trunk, scalp, and oral mucosa. Histopathology revealed a subepidermal bulla, and direct and indirect immunofluorescence studies were consistent with EBA. The patient failed respond to niacinamide and tetracycline and oral prednisone 40 mg per day. METHODS: Complete control of his blistering was achieved within two months of initiating oral dapsone, 150 mg per day. CONCLUSION: Dapsone may be an effective agent for some patients with EBA.

Clinical features and treatment of peristomal pyoderma gangrenosum.

CONTEXT: Peristomal pyoderma gangrenosum (PPG), an unusual variant of pyoderma gangrenosum, has been reported almost exclusively in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and is frequently misdiagnosed. OBJECTIVE: To better characterize the clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and management of PPG. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS: Retrospective analysis of 7 patients with PPG observed in a university-affiliated community setting between 1988 and December 1999. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Clinical and histopathologic features, associated disorders, and microbiologic findings. RESULTS: Two patients had Crohn disease, 2 had ulcerative colitis, and 3 had abdominal cancer. Five patients had at least 1 relapse of PPG after initial healing. Although 3 of 4 patients with IBD had active bowel disease, a parallel course with PPG occurred in only 1 patient. Both patients whose stoma was relocated developed an ulcer at the new site. Effective therapies included topical superpotent corticosteroids; intralesional injection of triamcinolone acetonide at the ulcer margin; topical cromolyn sodium; oral dapsone, prednisone, cyclosporine, mycophenolate mofetil; and intravenous infliximab. CONCLUSION: Our experiences demonstrate that although PPG has been most often reported in patients with IBD, it may occur in the absence of IBD. Biopsy of the skin lesion is not diagnostic but excludes other causes. Relocation of the stoma may be associated with a new ulceration and should be avoided. Trauma to the skin of a predisposed patient may elicit the pustules or ulcerations associated with pathergy. JAMA. 2000;284:1546-1548.

Absence of human papillomavirus DNA in the plume of erbium:YAG laser-treated warts.

BACKGROUND: The erbium:YAG laser (Continuum Biomedical, Dublin, Calif.) is a new resurfacing and ablating laser that produces minimal residual thermal damage. Laser safety requires careful attention to the hazards of the laser plume. It is important to know whether viable organisms survive in the vapors. Human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA has been detected in the vapor of carbon dioxide laser-treated and electrodesiccated human warts. The presence or absence of HPV DNA in the laser plume of erbium:YAG laser-treated warts has not been previously studied to our knowledge. OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to determine the presence or absence of HPV DNA in the laser plume of erbium:YAG laser-treated human warts. METHODS: One half of clinically typical and histopathologically confirmed verrucae vulgares from five patients were submitted for HPV DNA detection with in situ hybridization. After erbium:YAG laser ablation of the remainder of the warts, the laser plume was deposited on the handpiece as an abundant fluffy material and was submitted for evaluation of HPV DNA by polymerase chain reaction with consensus primers for the HPV type detected in the wart specimens. RESULTS: HPV2 DNA was found in all warts. HPV DNA was not detected in the erbium:YAG laser plume after ablation of these same warts. CONCLUSION: The absence of HPV DNA in the plume of erbium:YAG laser-treated warts is a significant safety feature of this laser.

Conjunctival impression cytology in the preterm infant and it's relation to outcome.

UNLABELLED: The preterm infant is deficient in vitamin A (retinol) and this has been implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic lung disease of prematurity. Conjunctival impression cytology (CIC) has been used in adults to assess retinol status. We aimed to assess the feasibility of performing CIC in the preterm infant and to determine the significance of abnormal CIC findings. CIC samples were collected during routine retinopathy screening, and classified as inadequate, normal, borderline normal or abnormal. Ninety preterm infants were studied. Seventy-four (82%) CIC specimens produced a positive yield, whereas 16 (18%) were inadequate. Of the 74 adequate samples, 61 (82%) were normal or borderline normal and 13 (18%) abnormal. Seventy-three CIC specimens were assessed by a second histopathologist with complete agreement on 64 (88%) samples and disagreement on 9 (12%) samples. Ten sets of conjunctival impressions, taken from both eyes, gave identical results in all adequate samples. Birth weight was significantly lower in this abnormal group. Four infants (32%) in the abnormal group required treatment for retinopathy compared to two (3%) in the normal/borderline normal group, (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Conjunctival impression cytology is simple and reproducible technique which maybe easily applied to the preterm infant. Abnormal CIC is associated with retinopathy of prematurity requiring treatment.

Epilepsy in a children's hospital: an out-patient survey.

Epilepsy, a common childhood condition, is largely managed by general paediatricians. To assess whether recent management guidelines are being met, we undertook a prospective questionnaire-based survey of children with epilepsy, attending the general paediatric out-patient clinic, at the Royal Liverpool Children's Hospital, Alder Hey. Ninety-one children were identified over seven months-giving a prevalence of epilepsy in this out-patient population of 13.7/1000. Fifty-four per cent were diagnosed as having tonic-clonic, 16% partial and 5% typical absence seizures. Forty-two per cent received carbamazepine and 33% sodium valproate, as monotherapy, and 7% were treated with multiple antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). Correlation between AED and seizure type was often inappropriate as was the routine measurement of blood level of AEDs. Correlation between seizure frequency and clinic visits was generally acceptable with those children experiencing frequent seizures attending most often. Specialist paediatric neurologist advice was sought in only 14% of children; 19 of the 28 children with the most poorly controlled seizures were not referred for a specialist opinion. This study has demonstrated a poor understanding of seizure/syndrome classification; the frequent inappropriate use of AEDs and their blood level measurement and inadequate referral for specialist advice. Recognized guidelines are not being followed, nor are standards being met by many general paediatricians. There is a clear indication for more extensive education and the need to provide clear recommendations for the management of epilepsy in children.

Acquired aphasia without deafness in childhood--the Landau-Kleffner syndrome.

A young boy presented with loss of speech and behaviour disturbance and was thought to be deaf. He was subsequently found to have the Landau-Kleffner syndrome (LKS), or acquired aphasia with epilepsy. Children with this disorder commonly present to an audiology or ENT clinic. Early recognition is important to initiate supportive, speech and educational care.