Thoracic Nerve Root Schwannoma Filling the Spinal Canal Almost Entirely Without any Neurological Deficits.

INTRODUCTION: Spinal tumours may be classified in three groups: 1) extradural, 2) intradural extramedullary and 3) intramedullary spinal cord tumours. Intradural extramedullary tumours arise from the leptomeninges or nerve roots and include schwannomas. A schwannoma is usually a firm grey-whitish tumour growing near a nerve trunk or ramus. It can be separated from the nerve without damaging neural tissue. Schwannomas are usually solitary tumours. CASE PRESENTATION: We present the case of a 37-year-old male who underwent surgery for a tumour in the upper thoracic segment of the spinal canal. Although the tumour filled the spinal canal almost entirely, the patient did not manifest any neurological deficits. During the surgery, the tumour was removed completely. A histological examination confirmed a benign schwannoma lesion (WHO G1). CONCLUSIONS: The question whether doctors are keen to order more diagnostic investigations (including both laboratory and imaging studies) than are necessary is often asked in clinical practice. The cost factor is also important. Not every patient with back pain is referred for an MRI study in the absence of characteristic neurological signs. The case of our patient, however, speaks in favour of early referral for such diagnostic modalities. Appropriate imaging studies, even in patients presenting with no neurological deficits, may help detect pathologies than can lead to severe disability. A spinal canal tumour filling the spinal canal almost entirely and displacing the spinal cord could cause spinal cord damage at any time with all the dire consequences such as paraplegia and loss of the ability to walk.

360 degree decompresion and stabilisation of the C6-C7 cervical spine luxation - case study.

We present the operative technique employed in a young man with cervical spine luxation at the level of C6-C7 with clinical signs of damage to the spinal cord at the level of C5. In order to achieve an optimal therapeutic effect (decompression of neural structures and spinal stabilisation) during one surgical procedure, the positioning of the patient was changed twice during the procedure. Considering the positioning of the patient at the beginning of the procedure, the body position was changed by 360 degrees. The first part of the procedure was performed from an anterior approach with the patient in the supine position. It involved a C6-C7 discectomy and removal of the upper surface of the body of C7, which was protruding into the vertebral canal and compressing the spinal cord. Intraoperative inspection showed that a posterior approach was necessary to reduce the luxation. Therefore, for the second part of the operation, the patient was turned by 180 degrees and placed in the prone position. For the last (third) part of the surgical procedure, the patient was again turned by 180 degrees and placed in the supine position in order to insert an anterior spine fixator. We believe that a procedure utilising different surgical approaches and different positioning of the patient in order to achieve optimal therapeutic effect may be used in selected cases in everyday clinical practice.

[The clinical value of transpedicular thoraco-lumbar spine stabilisation]. / Wartosc kliniczna stabilizacji transpedikularnej w chorobie nowotworowej kregoslupa piersiowo-ledzwiowego.

The authors present the results of treatment of spine neoplastic disease using transpedicular stabilisation. The clinical material of 2004 year are 20 cases, 15 males (75%) and 5 female (25%), 19 of them were qualified to the surgical treatment (95%). Obtained outcomes permit authors to make confirmation that the transpedicular stabilisation of thoraco-lumbar spine as a surgical treatment of it's neoplastic disease decrease pain, improve neurological condition if spinal cord damage are not durable, makes easer the rehabilitation process and nursing care.