Cancer pain is one of the most common symptoms in patients with advanced cancer. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of the Mas-related gene C (MrgC) receptors on bone cancer pain. Mechanical withdrawal threshold (MWT) and thermal withdrawal latency (TWL) were measured after the inoculation of Walker 256 mammary gland carcinoma cells into the tibia of adult Sprague-Dawley rats. The effects of MrgC receptor agonist bovine adrenal medulla 8-22 (BAM8-22) on nociceptive behaviors were investigated after intrathecal injection on days 16 and 17. Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-positive cells in the spinal dorsal cord, and calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP)-, neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS)- and IL-1β-positive neurons in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) were examined by immunofluorescence staining. The expression of nNOS and IL-1β proteins in the spinal dorsal horn and the DRG was examined by Western blotting after treatment with (Tyr6)-γ2-MSH-6-12 (MSH), which was another MrgC receptor agonist. The results showed that intrathecal injection of BAM8-22 (30 nmol) attenuated mechanical allodynia in a rat model of bone cancer pain and the effects could last for about 60 min, and single administration of BAM8-22 for two consecutive days reduced mechanical allodynia by about half on the third day. Moreover, the number of GFAP-positive cells in the spinal dorsal horn, and the number of CGRP-, nNOS- and IL-1β-positive neurons in the DRG were decreased. Similarly, intrathecal administration of MSH (15 nmol) reduced the expression of nNOS and IL-1β in the spinal dorsal horn and the DRG. In conclusion, activation of MrgC receptors suppresses the activation of astrocytes in the spinal dorsal cord and the expression of CGRP, nNOS, and IL-1β in the spinal dorsal cord and/or DRG, which may underlie the inhibition of bone cancer pain. These findings provide a novel strategy for the treatment of bone cancer pain.
Animals ; Cancer Pain/drug therapy* ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Bone Neoplasms/complications* ; Ganglia, Spinal/metabolism* ; Spinal Cord Dorsal Horn/metabolism* ; Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled/genetics* ; Female ; Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide/genetics* ; Interleukin-1beta/metabolism* ; Peptide Fragments/metabolism* ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I/genetics* ; Disease Models, Animal

Humans ; Ependymoma/secondary* ; Brain Neoplasms/pathology* ; Skin Neoplasms ; Melanoma ; Spinal Cord Neoplasms/pathology*

The spine is the most common site of bone metastases from malignant tumors, with metastatic epidural spinal cord compression occurring in about 10% of patients with spinal metastases. Palliative radiotherapy and simple laminectomy and decompression have been the main treatments for metastatic spinal cord compression. The former is ineffective and delayed for radiation-insensitive tumors, and the latter often impairs spinal stability. With the continuous improvement of surgical techniques and instrumentation in recent years, the treatment model of spinal metastases has changed a lot. Decompression surgery underwent open decompression, separation surgery, minimally invasive surgery and laser interintermal thermal ablation decompression. However, no matter what kind of surgical plan is adopted, it should be assessed precisely according to the specific situation of the patient to minimize the risk of surgery as far as possible to ensure the smooth follow-up radiotherapy. This paper reviews the research progress of decompression for spinal metastases.
Humans ; Spinal Cord Compression/surgery* ; Spinal Neoplasms/secondary* ; Decompression, Surgical/methods* ; Spine/surgery* ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

Humans ; Lymphoma, T-Cell, Cutaneous/complications* ; Neuroglia ; Pruritus/pathology* ; Skin Neoplasms/complications* ; Spinal Cord/pathology* ; Sympathetic Nervous System

OBJECTIVE: To explore the feasibility and key technology of microscopic resection of lumbar intraspinal tumor through microchannel keyhole approach. METHODS: The clinical features, imaging characteristics and surgical methods of 54 cases of lumbar intraspinal tumor which were microscopically operated by microchannel from February 2017 to September 2019 were reviewed and analyzed. There were 8 cases of extradural tumor, 3 cases of extra-and intradural tumor and 43 cases of subdural extramedullary tumor (including 3 cases of ventral spinal tumor). The tumors were 0.5-3.0 cm in diameter. The clinical symptoms included 49 cases of pain in the corresponding innervation area, 5 cases of sensory disturbance (numbness) at or below the tumor segment, 7 cases of limb weakness and 2 cases of urination and defecation dysfunction. RESULTS: In the study, 37 tumors were resected through hemilaminectomy, 14 tumors were resected through interlaminar fenestration, 3 tumors were resected through hemilaminectomy or interlaminar fenestration combined with facetectomy of medial 1/4 facet. All of the 54 tumors were totally resected. The operation time was 75-135 min, with an average of 93.3 min. The postoperative hospital stay was 4-7 days, with an average of 5.7 days. Postoperative pathology included 34 cases of schwannoma, 4 cases of meningioma, 9 cases of ependymoma, 1 case of enterogenous cyst, 5 cases of teratoma/epidermoid/dermoid cyst, and 1 case of paraganglioma. No infection or cerebrospinal fluid leakage was found after operation. No neurological dysfunction occurred except 1 case of urination dysfunction and 4 cases of limb numbness. The follow-up period ranged from 3 to 33 months with an average of 14.4 months. Five patients with new onset symptoms returned to normal. The pain symptoms of 49 patients were completely relieved; 4 of 5 patients with hypoesthesia recovered completely, the other 1 patient had residual mild hypoesthesia; 7 patients with limb weakness, and 2 patients with urination and defecation dysfunction recovered to normal. No spinal instability or deformity was found, and no recurrence or residual tumors were found. According to McCormick classification, they were of all grade Ⅰ. CONCLUSION The lumbar intraspinal extramedullary tumors within two segments (including the ventral spinal tumors) can be totally resected at stage Ⅰ through microchannel keyhole approach with appropriate selection of the cases. Microchannel technique is beneficial to preserve the normal structure and muscle attachment of lumbar spine, and to maintain the integrity and stability of lumbar spine.
Humans ; Hypesthesia ; Lumbar Vertebrae/surgery* ; Meningeal Neoplasms ; Pain ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Cord Neoplasms/surgery* ; Spinal Neoplasms/surgery* ; Treatment Outcome

The morbidity and mortality of prostate cancer ascend yearly, which seriously threatens the health of the male population. Bone is the main metastasis site of prostate cancer, with bone metastases and skeletal-related events (SREs) occuring in more than 70% of patients with advanced prostate cancer. Bone metastases and the resulting SREs, such as spinal cord compression and pathological fracture, seriously affect the life quality of the patients. Although the active treatments of the primary disease is important, the application of bone-modifying agents to prevent SREs cannot be overlooked. However, there is no standard treatment procedure for the bone metastasis of prostate cancer at present. According to the clinical status, the Genitourinary Oncology Committee of Chinese Anti-cancer Association formulated this consensus, which integrated clinical evidence and real world clinical practices in China and abroad, to help clinicians make more accurate diagnosis and treatment for the bone metastases of prostate cancer with multidisciplinary strategies.
Bone Neoplasms ; Bone and Bones ; Consensus ; Humans ; Male ; Prostatic Neoplasms/diagnosis* ; Spinal Cord Compression/etiology*

With the onset of a metabolic syndrome epidemic and the increasing life expectancy, erectile dysfunction (ED) has become a more common condition. As incidence and prevalence increase, the medical field is focused on providing more appropriate therapies. It is common knowledge that ED is a chronic condition that is also associated with a myriad of other disorders. Conditions such as aging, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, obesity, prostatic hypertrophy, and prostate cancer, among others, have a direct implication on the onset and progression of ED. Characterization and recognition of risk factors may help clinicians recognize and properly treat patients suffering from ED. One of the most reliable treatments for ED is penile prosthetic surgery. Since the introduction of the penile prosthesis (PP) in the early seventies, this surgical procedure has improved the lives of thousands of men, with reliable and satisfactory results. The aim of this review article is to characterize the epidemiology of men undergoing penile prosthetic surgery, with a discussion about the most common conditions involved in the development of ED, and that ultimately drive patients into electing to undergo PP placement.
Diabetes Complications/surgery* ; Diabetes Mellitus/epidemiology* ; Erectile Dysfunction/surgery* ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Impotence, Vasculogenic/surgery* ; Male ; Pelvic Bones/injuries* ; Penile Implantation/statistics & numerical data* ; Penile Induration/surgery* ; Penile Prosthesis ; Penis/injuries* ; Prostatectomy/adverse effects* ; Prostatic Neoplasms/surgery* ; Radiation Injuries/surgery* ; Radiotherapy/adverse effects* ; Reoperation ; Spinal Cord Injuries/epidemiology* ; Vascular Diseases/epidemiology* ; Wounds and Injuries/epidemiology*

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the value of CT spectral curve in differentiating spinal tumor metastasis (STM) from spinal infections (SI). METHODS: In the study, 29 STM and 18 SI patients proved pathologically and clinically were examined by dual energy spectral CT (DESCT). The monochromatic images and CT spectral curves were generated automatically by GSI Viewer software. The attenuation values at different energy levels (40-140 keV, every 10 keV), the attenuation values of the lesions on the conventional polychromatic CT images and the gradients of the curve were calculated and compared between STM and SI. RESULTS: The median age of STM and SI (58 years vs. 64 years) were not significantly different (U=171, P=0.4). The attenuation values of STM at 40-100 keV were 281.79 (143.67, 446.19) HU, 199.68 (100.04, 321.49) HU, 151.54 (81.47, 243.49) HU, (122.64±27.72) HU, (99.90±23.88) HU, (85.82±21.61) HU, and (75.94±20.27) HU, respectively, which were significantly higher than SI: 185.29 (164.19, 277.03) HU, 138.44 (124.98, 238.56) HU, 105.46 (92.94, 169.53) HU, (93.77±15.55) HU, (79.15±12.84) HU, (68.99±11.75) HU, and (62.22±11.71) HU (all P < 0.05). The attenuation values at 110-140 keV and the attenuation value on the conventional CT images were not significantly different between STM and SI. The gradient of CT spectral curve of STM was 2.43±0.58, which was higher than the value of 1.50±0.40 for SI (P < 0.001). Using 1.72 and 248.80 HU as the threshold value for CT spectral curve slope and the attenuation value at 40 keV, could obtain the area under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of 0.905 and 0.892, sensitivity of 88.0% and 80.0%, and specificity of 76.9% and 92.3%. CONCLUSION CT spectral curve provides valuable semi-quantitative information for the differential diagnosis of STM and SI, which can be used as a supplement to traditional CT imaging.
Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; ROC Curve ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Spinal Cord Neoplasms ; Spinal Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Myeloid sarcoma, characterized by the presence of immature myeloid cells occurring at an extramedullary site, is a rare manifestation of acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). Spinal cord compression as an initial presentation of AML is very rare with only a few reported cases. We discuss a case of a 22-year-old male who presented with bicytopenia and paraplegia. Workups were consistent with AML with monocytic differentiation. Chromosomal analysis revealed loss of Y and t (8;21). Spinal cord MRI showed intradural extramedullary-enhancing soft tissue lesions at levels T2 to T7 and L5 to S1, suspected to be myeloid sarcoma. Patient, however, succumbed to severe nosocomial infection prior to initiation of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Human ; Leukemia, Monocytic, Acute ; Sarcoma, Myeloid ; Spinal Cord Neoplasms

A 65-year-old male patient underwent C-arm fluoroscopy-guided bilateral celiac plexus neurolysis to relieve peritoneal seeding-related pain associated with pancreatic cancer. Following confirmation of spreading, and no intravascular injection of contrast media, 7.5 ml of 0.25% chirocaine was injected in each side. The pain subsided after the block, with no motor or sensory deficits. Subsequently, celiac plexus neurolysis with 99.8% alcohol was performed using a posterolateral approach under fluoroscopic guidance. The patient was instructed to maintain a prone position for 2 hours while the procedure was performed. Approximately 4 hours later, the patient experienced paralysis of both lower extremities and hypoesthesia. Emergent magnetic resonance imaging of the thoracic and lumbar spine revealed gray matter signal change in the cord and conus medullaris at the T10-L1 level, and decreased perfusion at the T11-T12 vertebral bodies, suggesting spinal cord infarction. The patient remained paraplegic until his death 24 days later.
Aged ; Celiac Plexus* ; Contrast Media ; Gray Matter ; Humans ; Hypesthesia ; Infarction ; Lower Extremity ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Pancreatic Neoplasms* ; Paralysis ; Paraplegia* ; Perfusion ; Prone Position ; Spinal Cord ; Spine