Early Development of Syringomyelia after Spinal Cord Injury: Case Report and Review of the Literature.

We report a case of post-traumatic syringomyelia (PTS), which developed 2 months after spinal cord injury (SCI). A 20-year-old man who was involved in a motorcycle accident sustained a complete SCI resulting from a burst fracture of the T5 vertebral body. He underwent posterior fixation with decompression at another hospital 2 days after the injury. Postoperative imaging suggested that spinal stenosis endured at the T4 level and swelling of the spinal cord above that level. Two months later, he felt dysesthetic pain in his forearms and hands, but the cause of the pain was not examined in detail. Four months after the injury, he presented with motor weakness in the upper extremities. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed syringomyelia ascending from the T3 level to the C1 level, and he was referred to our hospital immediately. The imaging studies suggested that PTS was caused by congestion of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) at the T3 level. The patient was treated with syringosubarachnoid (SS) shunt at the T1-T2 level, whereby neurological symptoms of the upper extremities were immediately relieved. Postoperative MRI showed shrinkage of the syrinx. At the latest follow-up 2 years postoperatively, there was no sign of recurrence. It is noteworthy that PTS potentially occurs in the early phase after severe SCI. We discuss relevant pathology and surgical treatment through a review of previous literature.

[An Extracranial Aneurysm in the Distal Posterior Inferior Cerebellar Artery Located at the Tonsillomedullary Segment:Case Report and Review of the Literature].

We report a rare case of subarachnoid hemorrhage(SAH)due to ruptured extracranial aneurysm originating at the caudal loop of the left posterior inferior cerebellar artery(PICA). A 50-year-old woman presented with severe headache and mild consciousness disturbance. Computed tomography(CT)revealed SAH and intraventricular hemorrhage. Vertebral angiography showed an extracranial aneurysm located on the tonsillomedullary segment of the left PICA. During the surgery, no vessel branches were confirmed near the aneurysm, and the aneurysm was successfully clipped through suboccipital craniotomy with C1 laminectomy. The patient showed significant recovery and was discharged without neurological deficit.

Retro-odontoid synovial cyst resected via an anterolateral approach without fusion.

PURPOSE: Retro-odontoid synovial cysts are rare and attributable to degenerative changes in the atlantoaxial joints. An anterolateral approach facilitates access to lesions located anterior to the craniocervical junction without harming the atlantoaxial joints, and can also treat small lesions in the ventral mid-portion of the craniocervical junction without compression of spinal cord. METHODS: We present herein the case of a 70-year-old man with a retro-odontoid synovial cyst. A ventral midsection mass was present at the level of the atlantoaxial joint. The compressed anterior medulla led to neurological deficits. Slight atlantoaxial instability was radiologically present. An intradural cyst resection without fusion was performed via the anterolateral approach. The diagnosis of a synovial cyst was histologically confirmed. RESULTS: The patient was followed up for 3 years and exhibited improvements in the neurological deficits. There were no recurrence and postoperative deterioration of atlantoaxial instability. CONCLUSIONS: The anterolateral approach for the retro-odontoid synovial cyst had little effect on C1-2 instability and yielded neurological improvements.