Spinal cord injuries due to close combat weapons.

A 17-year-old patient was aggressively attacked and stabbed in the dorsal region of his back by a knife. He was admitted to the emergency room of the Hammoud Hospital University Medical Center, Saida, Lebanon lying in the prone position. The neurological examination revealed that the stabbing object was fixed at the dorsal spine level at the T-7 level, where it was inserted inside the vertebral body. Luckily, the blade of the knife was parallel to the nervous tracts of the spinal cord; thus, he showed no neurological deficits. This case provides an overview of how neurosurgical principles can be applied to trauma patients with spine injuries due to close combat weapons.

Candida albicans osteomyelitis of the spine: progressive clinical and radiological features and surgical management in three cases.

Candida albicans vertebral osteomyelitis is rare. Three cases are presented. Without antifungal treatment, they developed spinal collapse and neurological deterioration within 3-6 months from the onset of symptoms. There was a delay of 4.5 and 7.5 months between the onset of symptoms and surgery. All patients were managed with surgical debridement and reconstruction and 12-week fluconazole treatment. The neurological deficits resolved completely. The infection has not recurred clinically or radiologically at 5-6 years follow-up. Although rare, Candida should be suspected as a causative pathogen in cases of spinal osteomyelitis. Without treatment the disease is progressive. As soon as osteomyelitis is suspected, investigations with MRI and percutaneous biopsy should be performed followed by medical therapy. This may prevent the need for surgery. However, if vertebral collapse and spinal cord compression occurs, surgical debridement, fusion and stabilisation combined with antifungal medications can successfully eradicate the infection and resolve the neurological deficits.

Dosage of intrathecal baclofen maintenance therapy in the spastic syndromes.

Twenty-three patients affected with severe spasticity as a result of several clinical pathologies were treated with intrathecal Baclofen and administered at a lumbar level by means of an implantable infusion system. The system allows programming of any drug dosage in a continuous infusion fashion in the subarachnoid space. The appropriate patients were selected using specific criteria and the patients were regularly reviewed regarding the level of the spasticity and functional capacity. The required daily doses were determined using a specific detailed system. The doses needed varied according to the pathologic or clinical diagnosis. The doses administered by the global method at the beginning of the treatment were 91.96 microg/day and 137.81 microg/day in the final phase. These doses were higher in patients with medullary traumatic lesion, diffuse cerebral lesion and spastic idiopathic paraparesis. Relatively mild side effects were produced by the therapeutic doses used.