Thoracic spinal epidural abscess caused by Salmonella typhi.

A 56-year-old man presented with a rare spinal epidural abscess manifesting as attacks of back pain associated with fever, weight loss, generalized weakness and fatigability, and constipation. He had multiple skin pustules in the last 4 months treated with oral amoxicillin. He had suffered diabetes mellitus for the last 5 years and was insulin dependent. Physical examination found slight paraparesis with sensory loss around the nipple and sphincteric urgency, and diabetic retinopathy. Magnetic resonance imaging showed edematous T2, T3, and T4 vertebral bodies, and narrow enhanced T3-4 disk space with a soft tissue enhanced mass mostly anterior to the spinal cord and indenting the cord. T3-4 costotransversectomy was performed to remove the extradural mass and evacuate the intradiscal material. Histological examination of the bone found osteomyelitis, and culture of the soft tissue showed Salmonella typhi sensitive to ceftriaxone and ciprofloxacin. Intravenous ceftriaxone administration was started, and the patient was discharged after 6 days in good condition. The outcome of spinal epidural abscess is devastating unless recognized and treated early. The present case of spinal epidural abscess in the thoracic spine caused by Salmonella typhi infection illustrates the importance of cultures to assess the drug sensitivity of the specific strain detected and adjusting the treatment accordingly.

New transparent peel-away sheath with neuroendoscopic orientation markers. Technical note.

The peel-away sheath in neuroendoscopic surgery offers numerous advantages and has many potential applications. However, currently available nontransparent sheaths have a critical disadvantage in that disorientation can occur, given the limited visible operative field. To overcome this obstacle, the authors have developed and clinically applied a new transparent sheath with "navigational orientation markers." The clear peel-away sheath provides a transparenchymal route, parenchymal protection, and, most importantly, direct visualization of the surroundings along the whole trajectory and at the distal edge. The navigational orientation markers add further benefits in terms of facilitating orientation in the endoscope trajectory, making this tool extremely useful in neuroendoscopic surgery.

Rapidly growing giant suprasellar tumor in a high-risk child: treatment strategy and role of neuroendoscopic surgery in slit-like ventricles.

RATIONALE: Suprasellar tumors are common in the pediatric population and exhibit a wide range of pathological appearance and behavior. Although rare, pure suprasellar germinomas carry worse prognosis than other locations. METHODS: We present a case of a 10-year-old girl treated with therapeutic anticoagulation for previous cardiac valvular replacement, who presented with rapidly growing giant (>4 cm) suprasellar germinoma. Neoadjuvant chemotheraphy was effective and the dilated ventricles became slit-like. The fine free-hand maneuver using a fine rigid-rod neuroendoscope. "Oi-Samii Handy Pro" made it possible to obtain the tissue diagnosis. RESULTS: Complete remission was achieved using neoadjuvant chemotherapy, minimally invasive neuroendoscopic surgery, then followed by specific chemoradiotherapy. CONCLUSION: The role of neuroendoscopic procedure, performed in a difficult situation with normalized size of the ventricles, was emphasized.

Huge arachnoid cyst incorporating choroid plexus.

BACKGROUND: We report a rare case of arachnoid cyst incorporating choroid plexus. This 7-month-old girl presented with macrocrania. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging disclosed a cystic lesion arising from the left prepontine cistern extending to the left middle cranial fossa. METHODS: First, we performed resection of the membrane microscopically and obtained an adequate reduction of the cystic size. However, 4 months after the first operation, the cyst was enlarged again, and bulging of the portion of the craniotomy was noted. Thus, we performed neuroendoscopic transcortical ventriculo-cyst-cysternostomy and confirmed the choroid plexus inside of the arachnoid cyst. DISCUSSION: Postoperative course was uneventful. This is the first reported case of choroid plexus within an arachnoid cyst, determined neuroendoscopically.