The presence of distant metastases from differentiated thyroid carcinoma decreases the 10-year survival rates of patients by 50%. This is a report of a 61-year-old female with follicular thyroid carcinoma who presented initially with low back pain. 2-deoxy-2-[18F] fluoro-D-glucose whole-body positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) demonstrated a hypointensity lesion in the left thyroid gland with malignant uptake in L1 vertebra and magnetic resonance images revealed paravertebral and epidural extension of mass in L1 vertebra. After thyroidectomy, histopathological study showed a follicular carcinoma. We performed L1 total en bloc spondylectomy with expandable cage for long-term local control. The technical details of total en bloc spondylectomy in follicular carcinoma are described herein.
Adenocarcinoma, Follicular ; Electrons ; Female ; Humans ; Low Back Pain ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Spine ; Survival Rate ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; Thyroidectomy

OBJECTIVE: Although a significant correction of local kyphosis has been reported previously, only a few studies have investigated whether this correction leads to an improved overall sagittal alignment. The study objective was to determine whether an improvement in the local kyphotic angle improves the overall sagittal alignment. We examined and compared the effects of thoracic and lumbar level kyphoplasty procedures on local versus overall sagittal alignment of the spine. METHODS: Thirty-eight patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures who showed poor response to conventional, palliative medical therapy underwent single-level kyphoplasty. The pertinent clinical data of these patients, from June 2006 to November 2006, were reviewed retrospectively. We measured preoperative and postoperative vertebral body heights, which were classified as anterior, middle, or posterior fractured vertebral body heights. Furthermore, the local and overall sagittal angles after polymethylmethacrylate deposition were measured. RESULTS: More height was gained at the thoracic level, and the middle vertebral height regained the most. A significant local kyphosis correction was observed at the fractured level, and the correction at larger spanning segments decreased with the distance from the fractured level. CONCLUSION: The inflatable balloon kyphoplasty procedure was the most effective in regaining the height of the thoracic fractured vertebra in the middle vertebral body. The kyphosis correction by kyphoplasty was mainly achieved in the fractured vertebral body. Sagittal angular correction decreased with an increase in the distance from the fractured vertebra. No significant improvement was observed in the overall sagittal alignment after kyphoplasty. Further studies in a larger population are required to clarify this issue.
Body Height ; Fractures, Compression* ; Humans ; Kyphoplasty* ; Kyphosis ; Polymethyl Methacrylate ; Retrospective Studies ; Spine

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the surgical outcomes of ventral interbody grafting and anterior or posterior spinal instrumentation for the treatment of advanced spondylodiscitis in patients who had failed medical management. METHODS: A total of 28 patients were evaluated for associated medical illness, detected pathogen, level of involved spine, and perioperative complications. Radiological evaluation including the rate of bony union, segmental Cobb angle, graft- and instrumentation-related complications, and clinical outcomes by mean Frankel scale and VAS score were performed. RESULTS: There are 14 pyogenic spondylodiscitis, 6 postoperative spondylodiscitis, and 8 tuberculous spondylodiscitis. There were 21 males and 7 females. Mean age was 51 years, with a range from 18 to 77. Mean follow-up period was 10.9 months. Associated medical illnesses were 6 diabetes, 3 pulmonary tuberculosis, and 4 chronic liver diseases. Staphylococcus was the most common pathogen isolated (25%), and Mycobacterium tuberculosis was found in 18% of the patients. Operative approaches, either anterior or posterior spinal instrumentation, were done simultaneously or delayed after anterior aggressive debridement, neural decompression, and structural interbody bone grafting. All patients with neurological deficits improved after operation, except only one who died from aggravation as military tuberculosis. Mean Frankel scale was changed from 3.78+/-0.78 preoperatively to 4.78+/-0.35 at final follow up and mean VAS score was improved from 7.43+/-0.54 to 2.07+/-1.12. Solid bone fusion was obtained in all patients except only one patient who died. There was no need for prolongation of duration of antibiotics and no evidence of secondary infection owing to spinal instrumentations. CONCLUSION: According to these results, debridement and anterior column reconstruction with ventral interbody grafting and instrumentation is effective and safe in patients who had failed medical management and neurological deficits in advanced spondylodiscitis.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Bone Transplantation ; Coinfection ; Debridement ; Decompression ; Discitis ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Liver Diseases ; Male ; Military Personnel ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; Spine ; Staphylococcus ; Transplants ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary

A case of total spondyloptosis of the cervical spine at C6-7 level with cord compression is described in a 51-year-old male. Because the bodies of C6 and 7 were tightly locked together, cervical traction failed. Then the patient was operated on by a posterior approach. Posterior stabilization and fusion were performed by C4-5 lateral mass and C7-T1 pedicle screw fixation and rod instrumentation with bridging both C4-5's rods to the C7-T1's extended ones. After C6 total laminectomy and foraminotomy, the C6 body was returned to its proper position. Secondly, anterior stabilization and fusion were performed by C6-7 discectomy with a screw-plate system. A postoperative lateral plain radiograph showed good realignment. In this case, we report the clinical presentation and discuss the surgical modalities of C6-7 total spondyloptosis and the failed close reduction.
Diskectomy ; Foraminotomy ; Humans ; Laminectomy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Spine ; Traction

Objective: : To evaluate the surgical outcomes of partial pedicle subtraction osteotomy (PPSO) in patients with thoracolumbar fractures and compare the outcomes of PPSO for burst fractures with those for posttraumatic kyphosis (PTK). Methods: : From June 2013 to May 2019, 20 consecutive adult patients underwent PPSO for thoracolumbar fractures at the levels of T10 to L2. Of these patients, 10 underwent surgery for acute fractures (burst fractures), and 10 for sequelae of thoracolumbar fractures (PTK). Outcomes of PPSO were evaluated and compared between the groups. Results: : Twenty patients (each 10 patients of burst fractures and PTK) with a mean age of 64.7±11.1 years were included. The mean follow-up period was 21.8±11.0 months. The mean correction of the thoracolumbar angle was -34.9°±18.1° (from 37.8°±20.5°preoperatively to 2.8°±15.2° postoperatively). The mean angular correction at the PPSO site was -38.4°±13.6° (from 35.5°±13.6° preoperatively to -2.9°±14.1° postoperatively). The mean preoperative sagittal vertical axis was 93.5±6.7 cm, which was improved to 37.6±35.0 cm postoperatively. The mean preoperative kyphotic angle at the PPSO site was significant greater in patients with PTK (44.8°±7.2°) than in patients with burst fractures (26.2°±12.2°, p=0.00). However, the mean postoperative PPSO angle did not differ between the two groups (-5.9°±15.7° in patients with burst fractures and 0.2°±12.4° in those with PTK, p=0.28). The mean angular correction at the PPSO site was significantly greater in patients with PTK (-44.6°±10.7°) than in those with burst fractures (-32.1°±13.7°, p=0.04). The mean operation time was 188.1±37.6 minutes, and the mean amount of surgical bleeding was 1030.0±533.2 mL. There were seven cases of perioperative complications occurred in five patients (25%), including one case (5%) of neurological deficit. The operation time, surgical bleeding, and complication rates did not differ between groups. Conclusion : In cases of burst fracture, PPSO provided enough spinal cord decompression without corpectomy and produced sagittal correction superior to that achieved with corpectomy. In case of PTK, PPSO achieved satisfactory curve correction comparable to that achieved with conventional PSO, with less surgical time, less blood loss, and lower complication rates. PPSO could be a viable surgical option for both burst fractures and PTK.

OBJECTIVE: To present the accuracy and safety of cervical pedicle screw insertion using the technique with direct exposure of the pedicle by laminoforaminotomy. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 12 consecutive patients. A total of 104 subaxial cervical pedicle screws in 12 patients had been inserted. We also assessed the clinical and radiological outcomes and analyzed the direction and grade of pedicle perforation (grade 0: no perforation, 1: <25%, 2: 20% to 50%, 3: >50% of screw diameter) on the postoperative vascular-enhanced computed tomography scans. Grade 2 and 3 were considered as incorrect position. RESULTS: The correct position was found in 95 screws (91.3%); grade 0-75 screws, grade 1-20 screws and the incorrect position in 9 screws (8.7%); grade 2-6 screws, grade 3-3 screws. There was no neurovascular complication related with cervical pedicle screw insertion. CONCLUSION: This technique (technique with direct exposure of the pedicle by laminoforaminotomy) could be considered relatively safe and easy method to insert cervical pedicle screw.
Humans ; Retrospective Studies

Coarctation and occlusion of the aorta is a rare condition that typically presents with hypertension or cardiac failure. However, neuropathy or myelopathy may be the presenting features of the condition when an intraspinal subarachnoid hemorrhage has compressed the spinal cord causing ischemia. We report two cases of middle-aged males who developed acute non-traumatic paraplegia. Undiagnosed congenital abnormalities, such as aortic coarctation and occlusion, should be considered for patients presenting with nontraumatic paraplegia in the absence of other identifiable causes. Our cases suggest that spinal cord ischemia resulting from acute spinal subarachnoid hemorrhage and can cause paraplegia, and that clinicians must carefully examine patients presenting with nontraumatic paraplegia because misdiagnosis can delay initiation of the appropriate treatment.
Aorta ; Aortic Coarctation* ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Diagnostic Errors ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Ischemia ; Male ; Paraplegia* ; Spinal Cord ; Spinal Cord Diseases ; Spinal Cord Ischemia ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Parkinson's disease (PD) patients frequently have several spinal deformities leading to postural instabilities including camptocormia, myopathy-induced postural deformity, Pisa syndrome, and progressive degeneration, all of which adversely affect daily life activities. To improve these postural deformities and relieve the related neurologic symptoms, patients often undergo spinal instrumentation surgery. Due to progressive degenerative changes related to PD itself and other complicating factors, patients and surgeons are faced with instrument failure-related complications, which can ultimately result in multiple revision surgeries yielding various postoperative complications and morbidities. Here, we report a representative case of a 70-year-old PD patient with flat back syndrome who had undergone several revision surgeries, including anterior and posterior decompression and fusion for a lumbosacral spinal deformity. The patient ultimately benefitted from a relatively short segment fixation and corrective fusion surgery.
Aged ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Decompression ; Humans ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Parkinson Disease* ; Postoperative Complications ; Surgeons

Intrathoracic meningoceles are relatively rare entities found in patients with neurofibromatosis type I (NF1). Given that both the BRCA1 and NF-1 genes are located on the same long arm of chromosome 17, one would expect concurrence of neurofibromatosis and breast cancer. However, incidence of such co-disorders is very rare in the literature. Here, the authors report a case of a 50-year-old female patient with NF-1 and concurrent cancer of the left breast, who had a huge bilobulated intrathoracic meningocele with thoracic dystrophic scoliosis, treated surgically via a posterior-only approach for the meningocele and spinal deformity in the same setting.
Arm ; Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 17 ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Meningocele* ; Middle Aged ; Neurofibromatoses* ; Neurofibromatosis 1* ; Scoliosis

Acupuncture appears to be a clinically effective treatment for acute and chronic pain. A considerable amount of research has been conducted to evaluate the role that acupuncture plays in pain suppression; however, few studies have been conducted to evaluate the side effects of the acupuncture procedure. This case report describes a suspected postdural puncture headache following acupuncture for lower back pain. Considering the high opening pressure, cerebrospinal fluid leakage, and the patient's history of acupuncture in the lower back area, our diagnosis was iatrogenic postdural puncture headache. Full relief of the headache was achieved after administration of an epidural blood patch.
Acupuncture ; Blood Patch, Epidural ; Cerebrospinal Fluid Pressure ; Chronic Pain ; Headache ; Low Back Pain ; Needles ; Post-Dural Puncture Headache