Accuracy of intraoperative neuromonitoring during percutaneous cement discoplasty.

Introduction: Percutaneous cement discoplasty is a minimally invasive procedure to treat low back pain due to advanced degenerative disc disease in elderly patients. Complications of this procedure has been described such as infection, vertebral fracture, cement leakage and nerve injury. Intraoperative neuromonitoring is used to detect the latter. The objective of this study was to assess the usefulness of neuromonitoring during discoplasty to detect new neurological compromise. Methods: 100 consecutive patients were included in this retrospective study, (30 males and 70 females, mean age of 76.3 ± 5.71 years) with mechanical low back pain who underwent percutaneous cement discoplasty. Results: Sensitivity to detect neurological injury was 82% (CI 95% 66-98), specificity was of 99% (CI 95%98-100) with a positive predictive value of 0.95 (CI 95% 85-100) and a negative predictive value of 0.97 (CI 95% 95-99). In 5 patients neurological compromise was not detected by neuromonitoring. Discussion: Our study showed high sensitivity and specificity of neuromonitoring to detect neurological irritation during percutaneous discoplasty. Intraoperative neuromonitoring resulted an effective assistance during this minimally invasive procedure.

Introducción: La Discoplastia percutánea con cemento es un procedimiento mínimamente invasivo para tratar el dolor lumbar debido a la enfermedad degenerativa del disco avanzada en pacientes ancianos. Se han descrito complicaciones de este procedimiento como infección, fractura vertebral, fuga de cemento y lesión nerviosa. El neuromonitoreo intraoperatorio se utiliza para detectar este último. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar la utilidad del neuromonitoreo intraoperatorio durante la Discoplastia para detectar un nuevo compromiso neurológico. Material y métodos: se incluyeron en este estudio retrospectivo 100 pacientes consecutivos (30 varones y 70 mujeres, edad media 76,3 ± 5,71 años) con lumbalgia mecánica sometidos a Discoplastia percutánea con cemento. Resultados: La sensibilidad para detectar lesión neurológica fue del 82% (IC 95% 66-98), la especificidad fue del 99% (IC 95% 98-100) con un valor predictivo positivo de 0,95 (IC 95% 85-100) y un valor predictivo negativo. valor predictivo de 0,97 (IC 95% 95-99). En 5 pacientes no se detectó compromiso neurológico mediante neuromonitoreo. Discusión: Nuestro estudio mostró una alta sensibilidad y especificidad del neuromonitoreo intraoperatorio para detectar irritación neurológica durante la discoplastia percutánea. El neuromonitoreo intraoperatorio resultó una ayuda eficaz durante este procedimiento mínimamente invasivo.

Congenital hemiparesis, unilateral polymicrogyria and epilepsy with or without status epilepticus during sleep: a study of 66 patients with long-term follow-up.

AIM: We retrospectively analysed the electroclinical features, treatment, and outcome in patients with unilateral polymicrogyria (PMG), focussing on epileptic syndrome with or without encephalopathy, with status epilepticus during sleep (ESES) or continuous spikes and waves during slow sleep (CSWS) syndrome. METHODS: From June 1990 to December 2012, 39 males and 27 females, aged 5-26 years, were studied. We did not include patients with bilateral PMG or cases with unilateral PMG associated with other cerebral lesions. The mean follow-up period was 12 years (range: 3-22 years). RESULTS: Mean age at epilepsy onset was 6.5 years. Focal motor seizures occurred in all cases and 25 had secondary generalised seizures. Six patients also had complex focal seizures. Interictal EEG recordings showed focal spikes in all cases. For 43 of 53 patients with epilepsy, aged 2-9.5 years, the electroclinical features changed. An increase in frequency of focal motor seizures was reported in 20 patients, negative myoclonus occurred in 32 patients, atypical absences in 25 patients, and positive myoclonus in 19 patients. All patients had a continuous symmetric or asymmetric pattern of spike-wave activity during slow-wave sleep. CONCLUSION: For patients presenting with congenital hemiparesis, negative or positive myoclonus, and absences and focal motor seizures with ESES/CSWS, unilateral PMG should be considered. Brain MRI is mandatory to confirm this cortical malformation. The most commonly used treatments were clobazam, ethosuximide, and sulthiame, alone or in combination. For refractory cases, high-dose steroids were administered and surgery was performed in two patients. Outcome was relatively benign.

Myoclonic epilepsy in infancy: an electroclinical study and long-term follow-up of 38 patients.

PURPOSE: Myoclonic epilepsy in infancy (MEI) is characterized by brief generalized myoclonic seizures associated with generalized spike-wave paroxysms without other seizure types occurring in the first 3 years of life in developmentally normal children. In this study we analyze the electroclinical features, treatment, and outcome of 38 patients with MEI. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was conducted in 38 patients followed at the Neurology Department of the Pediatric Hospital Juan P. Garrahan in Buenos Aires, Argentina, between 1990 and 2012. KEY FINDINGS: A total of 24 boys and 14 girls were identified. The mean and median ages at seizure onset were 16 and 18 months, respectively (range 3-40 months). Ten patients (28.9%) had a family history of epilepsy, and six (15.8%) had a family history of febrile seizures. All patients had several daily brief and isolated myoclonic seizures during wakefulness and predominantly in the first two stages of sleep. Twelve children (31.5%) had reflex myoclonus, triggered by a tactile stimulus in 10 and additionally by noise and light in 2. The remaining two had photosensitive myoclonic jerks. The interictal electroencephalography (EEG) recordings evidenced generalized spike waves, polyspikes, and polyspike-wave paroxysms. The interictal EEG was normal in 12 patients. The abnormalities on the ictal EEG were similar to those on the interictal EEG. Most of the patients responded well to valproic acid. After a mean follow-up of 13.5 years, 24 patients (63%) were without treatment. At the last examination, 32 patients had normal neurologic and neuropsychological evaluations. Two patients (5.2%) had significant cognitive impairment (an IQ of 60 and 63, respectively) despite good seizure control. Four patients (10.4%) had significant learning impairment, two of whom also had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. SIGNIFICANCE: MEI is a well-defined epileptic syndrome of unknown etiology, but likely of a genetic cause. It is self-limited and pharmacosensitive mainly to valproic acid.

Rasmussen syndrome: an Argentinean experience in 32 patients.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to analyze the electroclinical features, treatment, and evolution of patients with Rasmussen syndrome (RS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective, descriptive study in 32 consecutive patients with RS followed between 1990 and 2012. RESULTS: Twenty boys and 12 girls were included in the study. The mean and median ages at onset of the seizures were 6.5 and 7 years, respectively. Twenty-eight cases had epilepsia partialis continua that had started at a mean age of 9.5 years. Fixed hemiparesis occurred within the first two years after seizure onset in 26 patients. The ictal EEG showed a multifocal origin, but confined to the affected hemisphere in all patients. Mild focal atrophy involved the temporo-insular region associated with enlargement of the ipsilateral horn and Sylvian fissure. An abnormal cortical and/or subcortical hyperintense signal was observed in T2 and Flair images in 25 and 17 patients, respectively. T2 hyperintensity and atrophy in the basal ganglia was documented in five patients. Corticosteroids associated with immunoglobulins were used in 25 patients. Surgical treatment was performed in 25 patients. After a mean follow-up of 13 years (range, 2-20) good surgical outcome-- Engel class I--was observed in 23 of 25 patients operated. CONCLUSION: Corticosteroid and intravenous immunoglobulin treatment should be considered in the early stages of the disease. Patients with RS had a good response to surgical excision of the affected hemisphere.