An ioMRI-assisted case of cervical intramedullary diffuse glioma resection.

PURPOSE: To date, application of intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging (ioMRI) to enhance surgical quality for spinal intramedullary neoplastic lesions has been rarely reported. Moreover, in developing countries or regions, ioMRI accessibility remains very limited. This report describes a technology design of high-field ioMRI accessible for multioperation rooms via a case presentation of an imaging-assisted surgical excision of human cervical spinal cord diffuse glioma. PATIENT AND METHODS: The patient was a 44-year-old woman with symptomatic and progressive C2-5 intramedullary diffuse glioma (IDG). Our ioMRI system was designed and arranged with accessibility to multiple operation rooms, which was used to assure more complete spinal cord or brain tumor removal. The intraoperational diagnostic aspects and the system setup technical details are presented for future applications of the system in hospitals where a designated ioMRI suite is not available. RESULTS: After a conventionally defined complete removal of C2-C5 IDG using a well-established surgical approach, ioMRI examination was able to detect residual tumor tissues that were indistinguishable under the surgical microscope. The IDG clusters were subsequently excised. The operation regimen resulted in a gross total elimination of the tumor, which enabled the patient to show very satisfactory postsurgery recovery and prognosis. CONCLUSION: ioMRI-assisted surgical removal of cervical spinal cord diffuse glioma should be systematically developed and applied to enhance therapeutic efficacy. The reported logistic flow of operating room tasks and imaging technical management are innovative for performing the tumor removal procedures in hospitals where designated ioMRI surgical suites do not exist. Critically, we emphasize implementation of stringent quality control measures for patient transportation safety and contamination prevention in establishing and maintaining such a system.

Vertebral artery loops in surgical perspective.

PURPOSE: Vertebral artery loop is a congenital or acquired anomaly. Vertebral artery loops are incidentally diagnosed during evaluation of neck problems and trauma. We aimed to present the incidence of VA loops using magnetic resonance angiography in consecutive patients and discuss epidemiological data including the gender, age, location, signs and symptoms, treatment approaches and outcomes of VA loops via analyzing literature. METHODS: In the first leg of our two-legged study, consecutive patients were evaluated using magnetic resonance angiography to detect any medial loop of vertebral arteries. The study period was from October 2015 to March 2016. In the second leg, academic databases about medial loop of vertebral artery were screened. Case reports, case series, abstracts and references of relevant literature were searched manually to avoid any missing cases. RESULTS: We evaluated 239 consecutive patients using magnetic resonance angiography. Twenty-one patients were excluded from the study due to inadequate image acquisition, aplastic vertebral artery and/or concomitant vertebral artery stenosis. Medial loop of V2 vertebral artery was observed in 13 patients (5.9 %): 9 with left, 2 with right and 2 with bilateral medial V2 loop. Patients with medial V2 loop were significantly older than patients with straight vertebral arteries (70.30 vs. 62.36, p = 0.028). In the literature analysis, VA loops were more commonly observed at V2 segment (90.5 %). Vertebral artery loops were mostly diagnosed at the 5th and 6th decades of life predominantly in females. The most common signs and symptoms were radiculopathy and/or neck pain, and signs and symptoms of vertebrobasilar insufficiency. CONCLUSIONS: Concise pre-operative evaluation of the vertebral arteries is essential to avoid the injury of undiagnosed VA loops during surgery, which might result in catastrophic circumstances. Further evaluation of the vertebral arteries using MR angiography is required, especially in elder age, before cervical spine surgeries.

Acquired Encephalocele With Hydrocephalus and Pineal Region Epidermoid Cyst.

A combination of trauma and a missed inflammatory response (nasal operation) concomitant with hydrocephalus and tumor in secondary encephalocele has not been described in the English literature yet. A 38-year-old man was admitted to the clinic with rhinorrhea that started 3 months ago. In his medical history, nothing abnormal was present except a nasal operation performed 1 year ago. Brain magnetic resonance imaging depicted left frontal encephalocele concomitant with obstructive hydrocephalus caused by an epidermoid cyst originated from the pineal region. A 2-staged surgery was planned. In the first stage, a ventriculoperitoneal shunt insertion was conveyed successfully. In the second-stage surgery, the herniated brain tissue was excised, and the frontal sinus was cleansed with serum saline combined with antibiotic. The bony defect and the dura defect were repaired. The patient's presenting complaint recovered fully, and he was discharged to home in a well condition. Acquired encephalocele is a rare entity. In case of rhinorrhea and encephalocele, even in the presence of prior history of nasal surgery, intracranial evaluation should be conveyed to exclude the presence of hydrocephalus and/or tumor. The cranial defect should be repaired to prevent future infections and brain tissue damage.

Pain control following posterior spine fusion: patient-controlled continuous epidural catheter infusion method yields better post-operative analgesia control compared to intravenous patient controlled analgesia method. A retrospective case series.

PURPOSE: Pain management following posterior spinal fusion surgeries is a challenging topic. Continuous epidural analgesia (CEA) technique has been invented to resolve some deleterious effects related with conventional intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV-PCA) method. However, studies for effectiveness and safety of CEA are scarce in adult population. Our aim was to compare effectiveness and safety of patient-controlled CEA with conventional IV-PCA method in adult patient population. METHODS: Chart review of patients, scheduled for elective posterior spine fusion to treat spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease, spondylolisthesis or spinal instability from May 2012 to March 2015, was performed. Patients with spinal infection, cancer, inflammatory disease, and ASA higher than class III, allergy to analgesic medications were excluded from the study. One hundred and nine patients were enrolled into the study. 80 out of 109 patients (40 in CEA group, 40 in IV-PCA group) were matched for age, gender, BMI, type of surgery, level of fusions. Visual Analog Scale scores (VAS) and Ramsay Sedation Scale (RSS) scores were evaluated following surgeries until post-operative 24th hour. RESULTS: There were 58 female patients (72.5 %). The mean age of the patients was 59.85 years (range 24-82 years). When VAS and RSS scores were compared between the groups, there were statistically significant differences between the groups in respect of VAS scores at every time point following surgery (lower in CEA group), whereas there was no significant difference between the groups in respect of RSS scores. More additional analgesia medication was needed in IV-PCA group (16 vs. 5 patients), which was significantly higher than CEA group (p = 0.029). CONCLUSIONS: Patient-controlled CEA method is as safe as IV-PCA method and is even more effective than that in controlling immediate post-operative pain in patients treated with posterior spinal fusion.