Spinal pial (type IV) arteriovenous fistulae: a systematic pooled analysis of demographics, hemorrhage risk, and treatment results.

BACKGROUND: Demographics, hemorrhage risk, and results of surgical and endovascular treatment of spinal pial (type IV) arteriovenous fistulae (AVFs) across a large patient group have not been previously reported. OBJECTIVE: To report demographics, hemorrhage rates, and treatment results for these AVFs. METHODS: We performed a pooled analysis via the PubMed and Embase databases through November 2012. Individualized patient data were extracted and analyzed using Cox proportional hazards regression to obtain hazard ratios for hemorrhage risk factors and pooled for baseline demographics and treatment results. RESULTS: We extracted information on 213 patients from 28 studies. Only 1% of lesions were incidental; 93% of patients presented with neurologic deficits and 36% with hemorrhage. Patients with type IVa lesions were significantly older (mean age, 46.9 years) and demonstrated a male sex predilection (68% male). Patients with type IVc lesions were significantly younger (mean age, 18.7 years), had no sex predilection, and had the highest prevalence of syndromic conditions (29% of cases). The annual hemorrhage rate was 2.5% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.4%-4.7%), increasing to 5.6% for hemorrhagic fistulae (95% CI: 3.0%-10.7%; hazard ratio: 6.31; 95% CI: 0.69-57.4; P = .10). Patient sex, fistula location, and fistula subclass were not significant risk factors for hemorrhage. The surgical obliteration rate was 88%; 68% of patients improved, 26% were the same, and 6% were worse. The endovascular obliteration rate was 74%; 75% of patients improved, 14% were the same, and 11% were worse. CONCLUSION: We demonstrate the utility of the Anson-Spetzler a-c subclassification and underscore the efficacy of surgical and endovascular spinal AVF treatment.

Major neurologic deficit immediately after adult spinal surgery: incidence and etiology over 10 years at a single training institution.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective study of adult patients who underwent spinal surgery over a 10-year period at a single institution. OBJECTIVE: New onset postoperative paralysis remains one of the most feared complications of spinal surgery. The goal of this study was to determine the incidence and etiology of new onset major neurologic deficit immediately after adult spinal surgery. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Previous studies, focusing on specific disease entities, have shown incidence rates of significant spinal cord or cauda equina injury after spinal surgery ranging from approximately 0% to 2%. METHODS: The authors reviewed the quality assurance records for adult patients who underwent spinal surgery over a 10-year period (July 1, 1996 to June 30, 2006) by surgeons in the Department of Neurosurgery, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine at hospitals affiliated with the neurologic surgery residency program. Patients with new onset major neurologic deficit immediately after spinal surgery were identified. RESULTS: Of 11,817 adult spinal operations, 21 patients experienced new onset major neurologic deficit immediately after spinal surgery, yielding an overall incidence of 0.178%; in the cervical spine 0.293%, thoracic spine 0.488%, and lumbar/sacral spine 0.0745%. The difference in incidence between spinal regions was statistically significant (P = 0.00343). The etiology of the neurologic deficits was confirmed with reoperation and/or postoperative imaging studies: epidural hematoma in 8 patients, inadequate decompression in 5 patients, presumed vascular compromise in 4 patients, graft/cage dislodgement in 2 patients, and presumed surgical trauma in 2 patients. Placement of spinal instrumentation was performed in 12 of 21 patients (57.1%) and was associated with a significantly higher risk of new onset major neurologic deficit immediately after spinal surgery (P = 0.022). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of new onset major neurologic deficit immediately after adult spinal surgery is low. Epidural hematoma and inadequate decompression were the most common etiologies in this series of patients.

Epidural analgesia in cardiac surgery: an updated risk assessment.

INTRODUCTION: The use of epidural anesthesia carries risks that have been known for 50 years. The debate about the use of locoregional technique in cardiac anesthesia continues. The objective of this report is to estimate the risks and their variability of a catheter-related epidural hematoma in cardiac surgery patients and to compare it with other anesthetic and medical procedures. METHODS: Case series reporting the use of epidural anesthesia in cardiac surgery were researched through Medline. Additional references were retrieved from the bibliography of published articles and from the internet. Risks of complications in other anesthetic and medical activity were retrieved from recent reviews. RESULTS: Based on the present evidence, the risk of epidural hematoma in cardiac surgery is 1:12,000 (95% CI of 1:2100 to 1:68,000), which is comparable to the risk in the nonobstetrical population of 1:10,000 (95% CI 1:6700 to 1:14,900). The risk of epidural hematoma is comparable to the risk of receiving a wrong blood product or the yearly risk of having a fatal road accident in Western countries. CONCLUSIONS: The risk of a hematoma after epidural in cardiac surgery is comparable to other nonobstetrical surgical procedures. Its routine application in a controlled setting should be encouraged.

Hematoma extradural espinhal espontâneo: relato de caso / Spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma: case report

O hematoma extradural espinhal espontâneo é considerado raro. Tem sido associado com hipertensão arterial e coagulopatias. O exame de escolha para diagnóstico é a ressonância nuclear magnética.O tratamento de escolha é drenagem cirúrgica do hematoma. O prognóstico está relacionado com a etiologia, intervalo entre icto e diagnóstico e o grau de déficits neurológicos. Os autores relatam um caso de hematoma extradural espinhal espontâneo, localizado na região torácica, com quadro de choque medular, sendo submetido a tratamento cirúrgico, que evoluiu para óbito.

The spontaneous spinal extradural hematoma is rare. It has been associated with arterial hypertension and coagulopaties. Magnetic resonance is the first choice for neuroimaging diagnosis. The surgical drainage of the hematoma is the best treatment. Prognosis is related to etiology, interval between ictus and diagnosis and degree of neurological deficits. The authors report a case of spontaneous spinal extradural hematoma, located in thoracic region, with medullar shock syndrome, that was submitted tosurgical treatment but died for non neurological complications.