Acromegaly with initial negative oral glucose tolerance test: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Acromegaly can be diagnosed by a growth hormone value ≥ 1 µg/L following an oral glucose tolerance test. However, normal growth hormone suppression following oral glucose tolerance test may not exclude acromegaly. CASE PRESENTATION: We present a case of a 55-year-old Chinese man with pituitary macroadenoma incidentally noted after a traffic accident. He reported feet enlargement in the past few years. At the beginning, elevated insulin-like growth factor-1 was noted with growth hormone value < 1 µg/L after oral glucose tolerance test. Fracture-related high insulin-like growth factor-1 was suspected. Insulin-like growth factor-1 decreased gradually but was still above the upper limit of normal . However, he suffered from dizziness 1 year later and insulin-like growth factor-1 increased again. Besides, secondary hypocortisolism developed. The size of the pituitary macroadenoma was stationary. Follow-up oral glucose tolerance test showed a growth hormone value > 1 µg/L. Endoscopic endonasal approach to the remove pituitary macroadenoma was performed subsequently. After the resection of the pituitary macroadenoma, pathology showed positive staining of growth hormone and prolactin. Insulin-like growth factor-1 normalized as well. CONCLUSIONS: Suppressed growth hormone after oral glucose tolerance test cannot exclude acromegaly, and some patients may have only mild or no clinical presentation of acromegaly. Patients with pituitary microadenoma or macroadenoma and elevated insulin-like growth factor-1 should be closely monitored for signs/symptoms of acromegaly and hypopituitarism.

Olfactory Outcomes After Middle Turbinate Resection in Endoscopic Transsphenoidal Surgery: A Prospective Randomized Study.

OBJECTIVE: Endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal surgery is safe and effective for sellar and parasellar tumor removal. Partial middle turbinate (MT) resection is sometimes performed to optimize the surgical field and facilitate postoperative care. Disturbances in olfaction are concerning because of the lack of randomized studies in this field. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective randomized trial. SETTING: Single academic medical center. METHODS: We resected the lower halves of bilateral MTs in the resected group and laterally fractured bilateral MTs in the preserved group. Olfactory outcomes and sinonasal conditions were assessed by using the validated Taiwan Smell Identification Test and Lund-Kennedy Endoscopy Score, respectively. Forty-nine patients were enrolled in the final analysis, of whom 23 underwent partial MT resection. RESULTS: The average Taiwan Smell Identification Test result was 36.9 one month after surgery, with a significant change of -4.4 ± 3.1 (mean ± SD; P < .01) from baseline. The impact was not significant at 3 months (-2.1 ± 2.6, P = .13) or 6 months (0.3 ± 2.0, P = .79). Between the MT resection and preservation groups, there were no significant differences at postoperative 1 month (P = .60), 3 months (P = .86), and 6 months (P > .99). Lund-Kennedy Endoscopy Score was still higher at 3 months (P = .006) after surgery but returned to the preoperative level at 6 months (P = .63). CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal surgery may affect olfaction at 1 month after surgery, and olfactory function is expected to return after 3 months. Partial MT resection did not result in additional olfactory loss. It is safe to perform partial MT resection during surgery without compromising the olfactory outcomes.

A Giant Schwannoma Extending from Medial Portion of Middle Cranial Fossa to Parapharyngeal Space and Deep Parotid Space.

Trigeminal schwannomas are rare tumours comprising 0.2% of all intracranial tumours and 0.5% of all head and neck tumours. Patients with trigeminal schwannomas presented with facial hypoesthesia and pain. We presented a case with left bulging oropharynx. The CT scan showed a 3.8x2.6x4.9cm left parapharyngeal tumour compressed to the oropharynx and middle cranial fossa. We performed 3 ways in two times of operation to excise the whole tumour. We chose the transoral approach for parapharyngeal space, trans-parotid approach for deep parotid part and the endoscopic endonasal trans-pterygoid approach and trans-maxillary with Canine fossa trephination for intracranial lesions. The pathology showed schwannoma. A huge schwannoma extended from intracranial to several spaces is difficult to resect just by one approach. We should separate the tumour to several parts by clinical image before the operation and design a plan to remove the whole tumour in different approach. The different space of tumour involvement had several ways to access. We needed to choose the less harm but with better surgical field.

Can the Novel LumboIliac Triangle Technique Based on Biplane Oblique Fluoroscopy Facilitate Transforaminal Percutaneous Endoscopic Lumbar Discectomy for Patients with L5-S1 Disc Herniation Combined with High Iliac Crest? Case-Control Study of 100 Patients.

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy (PELD) via the transforaminal approach is difficult at L5-S1 in patients presenting with high iliac crests (HIC). The conventional wisdom is that measurement using lumbar radiography, computed tomography (CT), or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is necessary. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to introduce a lumbo-iliac triangular (LI-Tri) technique based on biplane oblique fluoroscopy and verify whether it facilitated transforaminal PELD for patients with L5-S1 lumbar disc herniation (LDH) combined with HIC. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective analysis. SETTING: All data were from Honghui Hospital in Xi'an. METHODS: One hundred patients with L5-S1 LDH combined with HIC were treated with PELD. The LI-Tri technique was used in the first 50 patients (applied group). The other 50 patients were classified as the nonapplied group, in which the conventional technique was performed. Clinical outcome evaluation included Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scores. The intervals of follow-up were scheduled at 1 day and 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months postoperatively. RESULTS: No significant difference was observed with respect to demographic information (P < .05, respectively). There were 8 patients in the nonapplied group with difficult punctures. Together with the remaining 50 patients, the puncture was successful with the LI-Tri technique. The mean operative duration was shorter in the applied group (55 vs 70 min, P < .01). Compared to the preoperative data, only the back pain VAS and ODI in the nonapplied group were nonsignificantly lower at one day postoperatively (P > .05, respectively). With the exception of the back pain VAS and ODI at one day postoperatively, no significant differences were observed in the 3 parameters at other time points postoperatively between 2 groups (P > .05, respectively). LIMITATIONS: The study is limited by its retrospective, nonrandomized controlled design. CONCLUSIONS: For patients with L5-S1 LDH combined with HIC treated by transforaminal PELD, the LI-Tri technique is simple and effective in preoperative evaluations, locating the skin entry point and guiding the puncture trajectory. Compared to the conventional technique, it shows advantages in terms of reducing intraoperative surgical duration and promoting fast postoperative recovery. KEY WORDS: Endoscopic discectomy, iliac crest, L5-S1 disc, PELD, percutaneous, transforaminal.

Cocktail Treatment with a Gelatin Sponge Impregnated with Ropivacaine, Dexamethasone, and Vitamin B12 Promotes Early Postoperative Recovery after Percutaneous Endoscopic Lumbar Discectomy: A Retrospective, Case-Controlled Study.

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy (PELD) can only relieve mechanical compression but cannot directly reduce the inflammatory reaction of the adjacent nerve root, which contributes to persistent pain and physical disabilities postoperatively. Numerous studies have explored the application of epidural steroids after an open lumbar discectomy in relieving pain by reducing local inflammatory reactions and further peridural scar formation. OBJECTIVES: To explore that whether "cocktail treatment" in which a gelatin sponge was impregnated with ropivacaine, dexamethasone, and vitamin B12 promoted early postoperative recovery after PELD. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective, case-controlled study. SETTING: All data were from Hong-Hui Hospital in Xi'an. METHODS: Between January 2016 and January 2017, 100 patients of single-level lumbar disc herniation were treated with PELD in our hospitals. The cocktail treatment was applied in the first 50 patients (group cocktail), and an equal size gelatin sponge without drugs was used in the other 50 patients as control (group noncocktail). The clinical outcome evaluation included the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) score for back and leg pain and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) score. RESULTS: There was a significant difference in the mean periods of return to work (4.25 ± 1.88 weeks in the cocktail group and 5.18 ± 2.19 weeks in the noncocktail group) (P < 0.01). Compared with the preoperative data, a significant improvement in VAS scores of back pain and sciatica and ODI were observed in each follow-up interval (P < 0.05, respectively). In the noncocktail group, there were visible fluctuations in the 3 indicators within the first week after surgery. This phenomenon was not observed in the cocktail group, a difference that was statistically significant (P < 0.05, respectively). In further follow-up, no significant differences were observed between the 2 groups (P > 0.05, respectively). LIMITATIONS: The nonrandomized, single-center, retrospective design is a major limitation of this study. CONCLUSIONS: The "cocktail treatment" with a gelatin sponge impregnated with ropivacaine, dexamethasone, and vitamin B12 promotes early and satisfactory back and leg pain relief and fast functional recovery after PELD. KEY WORDS: Endoscopic lumbar discectomy, lumbar disc herniation, steroids, nerve root block, gelatin sponge.