Congenital intradural intramedullary ependymal cysts of the spinal canal are very rare. The following case history is presented to emphasize the clinical features and to lead to a discussion of the origin of these cysts. We report our case with the brief review of the articles.
Spinal Canal

A soft ruptured thoracic disc herniation is very rare. We have experienced a ruptured T5-6 disc herniation which was migrated into spinal canal and compressed spinal cord posteriorly. It was difficult to differentiate it from cord tumor. Posterior laminectomy offers a better chance of removal than does the anterolateral or posterolateral approach this case.
Laminectomy* ; Spinal Canal ; Spinal Cord

Pneumorrhachis, which involves the entrapment of air or gas within the spinal canal, is a rare clinical entity, and the pathogenesis and etiologies of this uncommon entity are various and can present a diagnostic challenge. Usually, pneumorrhachis represents an asymptomatic epiphenomenon but it can produce symptoms associated with its underlying pathology. Here, we report a rare case of symptomatic epidural pneumorrhachis accompanying pneumothorax. Possible pathogenic mechanisms are discussed and a review of the literature is included.
Pneumorrhachis ; Pneumothorax ; Spinal Canal

The case of an 33-year-old man with an intradural and extramedullary enterogenous cyst in the thoracic spinal canal is presented. Enterogenous cysts are rare cystic tumors located in the spinal canal and causing spinal compression, and about half of the cases of enterogenous cysts are associated with congenital anomalies. This patient, however, had no vertebral anomaly or other evidence of congenital melformation. We reviewed literatures and recorded the distinguished features of intraspinal enterogenous cysts and discuss the clinical, radiological and histological findings.
Adult ; Humans ; Spinal Canal*

The use of titanium cages for posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) has gained popularity because it offers the advantages of anterior column support and stabilization. However, cage migration into the spinal canal may have severe or disastrous consequences. Here, the authors report an unexpected case of posterior migration of fusion cages after screw removal in a patient that underwent PLIF 12 months previously. Removal of the offending cages through revision extraforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (ELIF) with percutaneous screw fixation successfully managed this complication. As far as the authors' knowledge, this is the first case report to describe this sort of complication, and cautions that care must be taken to prevent cage migration.
Humans ; Spinal Canal ; Titanium

No abstract available.
Constriction, Pathologic* ; Spinal Canal*

OBJECTIVE: To clarify the landmark for deciding the entry point for C1 lateral mass screws via the posterior arch by using 3-dimensional (3D) computed images. METHODS: Resnick insisted that the C1 posterior arch could be divided into pure posterior and lateral lamina (C1 pedicle). Authors studied where this transition point (TP) is located between the posterior lamina and the C1 pedicle and how it can be recognized. The 3D computed images of 86 cadaver C1s (M : F=45 : 41) were used in this study. RESULTS: The superior ridge of the C1 posterior arch had 2 types of orientation. One was in the vertical direction in the C1 posterior lamina and the other was in the horizontal direction in the C1 pedicle. The TP was located at the border between the 2 areas, the same site as the posterior end of the groove of the vertebral artery. On posterior-anterior projection, the posterior arch was sharpened abruptly at TP. We were unable to identify the TP in 6.4% of specimens due to complete or partial osseous bridges. A total of 93.8% of the TP were located between the most enlarged point of the spinal canal and the medial wall of the vertebral artery. CONCLUSION: The anatomic entry zone of C1 lateral laminar screws was clarified and identified based on the TP by using preoperative 3D computed images.
Cadaver ; Spinal Canal ; Vertebral Artery

No abstract available.
Neural Tube Defects* ; Spinal Canal*

Generally, the posterolateral approach had been recommended in case of extraforaminal disc herniation or lateral stenosis but it has been speculated that this procedure may be feasible to posterolateral disc herniation at the high lumbar levels of the L1-L2 interspace. Topographically, a posterolateral approach should be able to access anteromedial side of the spinal canal without the risk of the bony instability and damage to the neural structures. During the past one year period, three patients with high lumbar discs at the L1-L2 level were treated by the modified posterolateral approach. This article describeds the details of this approach with pertinent literature review.
Constriction, Pathologic ; Humans ; Spinal Canal

The authors report the first case of histologically confirmed bone formation in the carbon fiber cage implant which used in posterior lumbar interbody fusion. A case of degenerative lumbar disc desease was treated by posterior lumbar interbody fusion with carbon fiber cage implant and local bone from posterior decompression. One year after the operation the cage was migrated into the spinal canal and compressed dural sac and nerve root. The cage was removed and investigated by light microscope. The histologic examination revealed viable bony traveculae in the cage. This finding suggest autogenous bone in the cage has a biologic bone-growth function after interbody fusion.
Carbon* ; Decompression ; Osteogenesis* ; Spinal Canal