Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

Acta Paediatr 2018 Sep 17. Epub 2018 Sep 17.

Pediatric Department, Venizeleio General Hospital, Crete, Greece.

Aim: A spinal epidural abscess (SEA) is a rare paediatric bacterial infection, with possible devastating neurologic sequelae. We explored localisation in the cervical segment, which is unusual, but more dangerous, than other SEAs.

Methods: We describe 22 cases (12 male) of paediatric SEAs without risk factors: 21 from a literature search from 2000-2017 and a 30-month-old boy with a spontaneous cervical SEA due to Group A Streptococcus. Read More

J Clin Rheumatol 2018 Sep 14. Epub 2018 Sep 14.

From the Divisions of Rheumatology, and.

Asian Spine J 2018 Oct 10;12(5):803-809. Epub 2018 Sep 10.

Center for Bone and Joint, Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital and Medical Research Institute, Mumbai, India.

Study Design: Retrospective study.

Purpose: In this study, we describe an endoscopic method of effectively treating tubercular lumbar spondylodiskitis with early onset epidural spinal cord compression in the lumbar spine on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Overview Of Literature: Percutaneous aspiration and biopsy of spondylodiskitis under ultrasonography and computer tomography scan invariably provides an inadequate diagnosis. Read More

Spinal Cord Ser Cases 2018 4;4:80. Epub 2018 Sep 4.

4Osteoarticular Infections Unit - Department of Traumatology and Orthopedics, Hospital Universitari Mútua de Terrassa, Barcelona, Spain.

Introduction: Septic arthritis of a facet joint (SAFJ) is a rare entity and frequently underdiagnosed. It is most frequently localised in the lumbar segment.

Case Presentation: A 48-year-old woman presented at our emergency room with a chief complaint of lumbar pain and perineal hypoesthesia. Read More

Case Rep Orthop 2018 14;2018:3127613. Epub 2018 Aug 14.

Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan.

An 81-year-old man presented with severe back pain. Magnetic resonance imaging detected L5/S discitis without signs of epidural abscess. Punctures of the disc revealed that the causative organism was , which is part of the normal flora of the oral cavity and an uncommon causative pathogen of spondylodiscitis. Read More

Oper Neurosurg (Hagerstown) 2018 Aug 30. Epub 2018 Aug 30.

Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio.

Background: When performing a craniotomy involving the orbital bar, the supraorbital notch is a potential landmark to localize the lateral extent of the frontal sinus. Avoidance of the frontal sinus is important to reduce the risk of postoperative surgical site infection, epidural abscess formation, and mucocele development.

Objective: To determine the reliability of the supraorbital notch as a marker of the lateral location of the frontal sinus. Read More

Infect Dis Clin Pract (Baltim Md) 2018 Jul;26(4):237-239

Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.

We report a case of spinal epidural abscess (SEA) in a 58-year-old woman who had recently been diagnosed with gonococcal infection, but did not receive guideline-recommended therapy. She presented with back pain and signs and symptoms of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). MRI of the spine demonstrated epidural abscess extending from L4-L5 to T10. Read More

Cureus 2018 Jun 19;10(6):e2836. Epub 2018 Jun 19.

Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery and Anatomy, Ribeirão Preto Clinics Hospital, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, BRA.

Pott's puffy tumor is a rare and severe complication of frontal sinusitis, characterized by the progressive swelling of the frontal soft tissues secondary to a subperiosteal abscess. Radiological imaging with ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are important diagnostic tools in establishing diagnosis and treatment planning. Early surgery along with intravenous antibiotics are required in order to achieve a good recovery. Read More

A A Pract 2018 Aug 16. Epub 2018 Aug 16.

From the Department of Anesthesiology, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Blunt chest trauma and the treatment of associated pain can lead to impaired respiratory drive and abnormal pulmonary mechanics, in turn resulting in significant respiratory system complications. These can include pneumonia, hypoxia, atelectasis, and a prolonged need for invasive mechanical ventilation. Epidural analgesia can decrease the need for systemic pain control and may improve cooperation with pulmonary rehabilitation exercises. Read More

IDCases 2018 8;13:e00438. Epub 2018 Aug 8.

Department of Internal Medicine, North east Ohio Medical University (NEOMED), Canton Medical Education Foundation, 2600, 6th street SW, Canton, Ohio 44710, United States.

Spinal epidural abscess (SEA) can be a medical and surgical emergency. It is encountered in patients with epidural catheter placement, paraspinal injections, diabetes mellitus, alcoholism, HIV infection, trauma, contiguous bony or soft tissue infection, intravenous drug use, hemodialysis, or overt bacteremia, but may occur spontaneously associated with a presumed silent bacteremia. We report here, a case of extensive SEA due to a community-acquired extended spectrum beta lactamase (ESBL)-producing in a diabetic patient. Read More

Spine J 2018 Aug 16. Epub 2018 Aug 16.

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, 02114, USA. Electronic address:

Background Context: Fungal spinal epidural abscess (FSEA) is a rare entity with high morbidity and mortality. Reports describing the clinical features, diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes of FSEA are scarce in the literature.

Purpose: This study aimed to describe the clinical features, diagnosis, treatment and outcomes of FSEA. Read More

Surg Neurol Int 2018 4;9:129. Epub 2018 Jul 4.

Department of Surgery, Division of Neurosurgery, University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix, Maricopa Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona, USA.

Background: Epidural venous plexus congestion at L5-S1 due to inferior vena cava (IVC) thrombosis led to an acute cauda equina syndrome (CES). Laminectomy to rule out an epidural abscess, allowing for resection of the dilated veins, led to immediate symptom resolution.

Case Description: A 47-year-old male presented with acute urinary retention and left greater than right lower extremity paresis of 2 weeks duration. Read More

Anesthesiology 2018 Jul 30. Epub 2018 Jul 30.

From the Departments of Anesthesiology (B.J.W.) Biostatistics and Medical Informatics (J.B.) University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, American Family Children's Hospital, Madison, Wisconsin; the Department of Anesthesiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston Children's Hospital, Atlanta, Georgia (J.B.L.) the Department of Anesthesiology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi (M.S.) Axio Research LLC, Seattle, Washington (C.W.) the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, Washington (A.T.B., S.H.F.) the Departments of Pediatrics and Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Palo Alto, California (E.J.K.) the Department of Anesthesiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts (N.F.S.) the Department of Pediatric Anesthesiology, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois (S.S.) the Departments of Anesthesiology and Pediatrics, Dartmouth Medical School, Children's Hospital at Dartmouth, Lebanon, New Hampshire (A.H.T.) the Departments of Anesthesiology and Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, Colorado (D.M.P.). Seattle Children's Hospital Seattle Children's Hospital Seattle Children's Hospital Seattle Children's Hospital Seattle Children's Hospital Seattle Children's Hospital Lurie Children's Hospital, Northwestern University Lurie Children's Hospital, Northwestern University Lurie Children's Hospital, Northwestern University Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford Children's Medical Center, Dallas Children's Medical Center, Dallas The Cleveland Clinic Boston Children's Hospital University of Texas, Houston University of Texas, Houston University of New Mexico University of New Mexico Texas Children's Hospital Texas Children's Hospital Texas Children's Hospital Texas Children's Hospital Doernbecher Children's Hospital, Oregon Health Sciences University Amplatz Children's Hospital/University of Minnesota Amplatz Children's Hospital/University of Minnesota Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health Hospital for Special Surgery, New York Hospital for Special Surgery, New York Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston Children's Hospital, Emory University Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston Children's Hospital, Emory University Children's of Mississippi, University of Mississippi Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital Columbia University University Hospital Rijeka, Croatia Nationwide Children's Hospital, Ohio State University Hospital Municipal Jesus, Rio De Janiero, Brazil Selçuk University, Konya, Turkey Monroe Carrell Children's Hospital, Vanderbilt University Wellstar Medical Group Children's National Medical Center Children's National Medical Center Massachusetts General Hospital for Children Massachusetts General Hospital for Children.

What We Already Know About This Topic: WHAT THIS ARTICLE TELLS US THAT IS NEW: BACKGROUND:: Complications in pediatric regional anesthesia are rare, so a large sample size is necessary to quantify risk. The Pediatric Regional Anesthesia Network contains data on more than 100,000 blocks administered at more than 20 children's hospitals. This study analyzed the risk of major complications associated with regional anesthesia in children. Read More

Med Mycol Case Rep 2018 Sep 19;21:26-29. Epub 2018 Mar 19.

Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, 2 Wanglang Road, Bangkoknoi, Bangkok 10700, Thailand.

is a rare cause of vertebral osteomyelitis. We report a case of thoracic vertebral osteomyelitis with spinal epidural abscess in a patient without apparent immunodeficiency. Clinical manifestations and radiographic findings could not distinguish from other etiologic agents. Read More

Acta Anaesthesiol Scand 2018 Aug 1. Epub 2018 Aug 1.

Department of Anaesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.

Background: The clinical use of epidural analgesia has changed over past decades. Minimally invasive surgery and emergence of alternative analgesic techniques have led to an overall decline in its use. In addition, there is increasing awareness of the patient-specific risks for complications such as spinal haematoma and abscess. Read More

J Neurosurg Pediatr 2018 Jul 13:1-9. Epub 2018 Jul 13.

Division of Critical Care Medicine, Nationwide Children's Hospital.

OBJECTIVE Focal intracranial infections such as intraparenchymal abscesses or localized infections in the epidural or subdural spaces are relatively rare infections associated with both morbidity and mortality in children. Although children with these infections frequently require surgical intervention, there is a paucity of literature describing the critical care resources required to manage these cases. This retrospective chart review was performed to evaluate the resources necessary to care for critically ill children with focal intracranial infections at the authors' institution. Read More

Case Rep Obstet Gynecol 2018 11;2018:1797421. Epub 2018 Jun 11.

Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, North Shore University Hospital, Manhasset, NY, USA.

Spontaneous spinal epidural abscess (SEA) is a rare infection of the central nervous system. We report a case of a 25-year-old G3 P0020 at 36 weeks of gestational age with history of intravenous drug abuse presenting with acute-onset and severe back pain. Despite antibiotic therapy, pain worsened and she developed lower extremity weakness. Read More

Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 2018 Jul 3. Epub 2018 Jul 3.

Aster MIMS Hospital, Calicut, Kerala, India.

Study Design: Retrospective case series.

Objective: To report the immunosuppression and secondary bacterial infection after dengue viral infection and the predilection of these infection in the spine. This can trigger further research in to this fact. Read More

Case Rep Med 2018 24;2018:5247594. Epub 2018 May 24.

Clinic for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Hospital, Heinrich-Heine-University, Moorenstraße 5, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.

Ganglionic local opioid analgesia (GLOA) describes the application of low-dose opioids close to sympathetic as, for example, to the superior cervical ganglion. GLOA can be effective in different pain syndromes affecting the head and face region and has been considered to be a safe technique with few complications reported so far. We present the case of a patient who received a single, transoral GLOA for a refractory trigeminal neuralgia. Read More

Childs Nerv Syst 2018 Oct 3;34(10):1947-1956. Epub 2018 Jul 3.

Bombay Hospital Institute of Medical Sciences, Mumbai, India.

Pediatric spinal infection includes spinal epidural abscess, spondylodiscitis and intradural (extramedullary and intramedullary) spinal infections. However, these entities are extremely rare and no clear guidelines exist for their management. Pertinent literature was searched and a detailed narrative review of this topic is presented. Read More

New Microbes New Infect 2018 Jul 12;24:42-46. Epub 2018 Apr 12.

Paramedics College, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.

Some important adverse effects of local and regional anaesthesia including injection-site infection, epidural abscess and meningitis, are usually caused by bacteria such as and These infections can even cause the patient's death in severe cases. In the present study, the antimicrobial activity of tramadol was investigated on and in BALB/c-sensitive mice. This experimental multigroup research study evaluated the effect of two different concentrations of injectable tramadol (12. Read More

Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 2018 Jun 18. Epub 2018 Jun 18.

Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL.

Study Design: Observational analysis of retrospectively collected data.

Objective: A retrospective study was performed in order to compare the surgical profile of risk factors and perioperative complications for laminectomy and laminectomy with fusion procedures in the treatment of SEA.

Summary Of Background Data: Spinal epidural abscess (SEA) is a highly morbid condition typically presenting with back pain, fever, and neurologic deficits. Read More

J Bone Joint Surg Am 2018 Jun;100(12):1030-1038

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.

Background: Spinal epidural abscess is a high-risk condition that can lead to paralysis or death. It would be of clinical and prognostic utility to identify which subset of patients with spinal epidural abscess is likely to develop a motor deficit or die within 90 days of discharge.

Methods: We identified all patients ≥18 years of age who were admitted to our hospital system with a diagnosis of spinal epidural abscess during the period of 1993 to 2016. Read More

Can J Kidney Health Dis 2018 31;5:2054358118776325. Epub 2018 May 31.

Division of Nephrology, Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Rationale: Staphylococcus-associated glomerulonephritis (SAGN) is a rare immune complex-mediated glomerulonephritis associated with active infection. We report a case illustrating the importance of clinical history and kidney biopsy findings in establishing the correct diagnosis.

Presenting Concerns Of The Patient: We report the case of a 64-year-old man with alcohol-associated cirrhosis, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and hypertension who presented to hospital with lower back and abdominal pain, rectal bleeding, a purpuric lower extremity rash, and oliguric acute kidney injury with microscopic hematuria and nephrotic-range proteinuria. Read More

BMJ Case Rep 2018 Jun 11;2018. Epub 2018 Jun 11.

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Hospital Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria.

Septic arthritis of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is rare, but patients with this diagnosis are at high risk for significant morbidity. We present a case of a 15-year-old man who presented with increasing trismus for 3 days. He had only minimal discomfort and swelling of the right cheek and temporal region, and pericoronitis of an impacted wisdom tooth was suspected. Read More

World Neurosurg 2018 Aug 5;116:e1194-e1203. Epub 2018 Jun 5.

Department of Neurosurgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.

Background: Spinal adhesive arachnoiditis (SAA) is an inflammatory process of the meninges. Cystic changes and cicatrization may lead to neurologic deficits and immobilization. Therapy is difficult and often unsatisfactory. Read More

World Neurosurg 2018 Jun 5. Epub 2018 Jun 5.

Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Navy General Hospital, Beijing, China. Electronic address:

Background: Cervical spondylodiscitis with spinal epidural abscess (SEA) is not a rare medical condition that usually requires urgent decompression of neural structures and stabilization of the spine followed by antibiotic therapy for prevention from severe neurological deficits.

Case Description: In this report, we present a 43-year-old male patient with the chief complaint of neck pain and intermittent fever accompanying by slight dysphagia. After two weeks, he felt mild and transient numbness on the left upper limb. Read More

Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 2018 Jul 11;110:147-151. Epub 2018 May 11.

University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Department of Otolaryngology, United States; Children's Medical Center Dallas, United States.

Objective: To study the role of endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) in the management of intracranial complications of children with acute rhinosinusitis METHODS: Retrospective chart review at a tertiary care pediatric hospital MAIN OUTCOMES: Demographics, intracranial complications, length of hospital stay (LOS), neurological sequelae, ESS, neurosurgical procedures RESULTS: Twenty-four children with a mean age (SD) of 12.9 years (+/-3.2) with an intracranial complication(s) of acute rhinosinusitis were identified between 2005-2016. Read More

J Neurosurg Pediatr 2018 Aug 25;22(2):189-194. Epub 2018 May 25.

Departments of 1 Neurological Surgery and.

Bartonella henselae is a gram-negative bacillus implicated in cat-scratch disease. Cat-scratch disease is usually self-limiting and results in local lymphadenopathy. In rare circumstances, patients may develop endocarditis, neuroretinitis, or osteomyelitis. Read More

Global Spine J 2018 May 20;8(3):279-285. Epub 2017 Jul 20.

University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Objectives: To test the external validity of the 2 published prediction criteria for failure of medical management in patients with spinal epidural abscess (SEA).

Methods: Patients with SEA over a 10-year period at a tertiary care center were identified using ICD-10 (International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision) diagnostic codes; electronic and paper charts were reviewed. Read More

Korean J Neurotrauma 2018 Apr 30;14(1):20-23. Epub 2018 Apr 30.

Department of Neurosurgery, College of Medicine, Chosun University, Gwangju, Korea.

Objective: Acute hemiparesis is often an early presentation of acute ischemic stroke, though it can occur in various disorders. This study aimed to investigate the improper use of thrombolytic agents for patients with acute hemiparesis, following the misdiagnosis of acute ischemic stroke.

Methods: We analyzed the clinical and radiological data of nine patients initially misdiagnosed with cerebral stroke in the emergency room from May 2013 to January 2017. Read More

Pediatr Emerg Care 2018 May 2. Epub 2018 May 2.

From the Division of Emergency Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA.

A 9-month-old healthy female presented during winter to the emergency department with a chief complaint of fever and prominent respiratory symptoms. She was discharged on oseltamivir with a presumptive diagnosis of influenza. She returned to the emergency department 2 days later with continued fever and more upper respiratory symptoms. Read More

Br J Neurosurg 2018 May 10:1-5. Epub 2018 May 10.

a Spine Surgery Unit, Department of Neurosurgery , Sheba Medical Center , Ramat-Gan , Israel.

Purpose: Application of the anterior sub-axial cervical approach to the axial spine or the high thoracic spine has been previously described. Evaluation methods to determine the feasibility of these approaches were also described but alternative method was utilized in the current study. We describe our experience expanding the boundaries of anterior cervical approach utilizing a novel algorithm for approach selection. Read More

Surg Neurol Int 2018 23;9:86. Epub 2018 Apr 23.

Professor of Clinical Neurosurgery, School of Medicine, State University of N.Y. at Stony Brook, New York, USA.

Background: Too many patients, with or without significant cervical disease, unnecessarily undergo cervical epidural steroid injections (CESIs). These include interlaminar (ICESI) and transforaminal ESI (TF-CESI) injections that are not Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved, have no documented long-term efficacy, and carry severe risks and complications.

Methods: Here we reviewed recent reports of morbidity and mortality attributed to the various types of CESIS. Read More

Surg Neurol Int 2018 5;9:70. Epub 2018 Apr 5.

Department of Histopathology, Avicenne Military Hospital of Marrakech, Mohammed V University in Rabat, Rabat, Morocco.

Background: Surgical site infections following spinal surgery, including spinal abscesses, are rare but serious as they are major causes of morbidity, and even mortality. They are, however, rarely attributed to infected, retained surgical cottonoids or sponges (textiloma or gossypiboma) inadvertently left in an operative field.

Case Description: A 53-year-old female with a history of two prior spinal operations at the L4-S1 levels (11 and 2 years previously) presented over a few weeks with the acute onset of a cauda equina syndrome (e. Read More

Radiol Case Rep 2018 Jun 25;13(3):719-723. Epub 2018 Apr 25.

Department of Radiology, Akershus University Hospital, Akershus, Norway.

BMJ Case Rep 2018 Apr 25;2018. Epub 2018 Apr 25.

Department of Otolaryngology, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, NHS Tayside, Dundee, Scotland, UK.

Pott's puffy tumour (PPT) is characterised by a subperiosteal abscess associated with osteomyelitis of the frontal bone-a rare complication of frontal sinusitis, more common in the paediatric population. We describe a case mimicking PPT, where abscess extension was facilitated by previous surgery. Usually patients with PPT would be systemically unwell, but our patient, a 63-year-old Caucasian man, was systemically well with a large swelling of his forehead. Read More

IDCases 2018 11;12:107-111. Epub 2018 Apr 11.

Department of adult infectious diseases, Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, P.O. Box 51900, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Spinal epidural abscess (SEA) is an extremely rare and disastrous musculoskeletal complication of spondylodiscitis and sacroilitis secondary to brucellosis infection. Few case reports and retrospective studies have been published reporting patients with epidural abscesses mainly lumbar, and thoracic while cervical abscess are rare. Management of spinal epidural abscess due to species is not standard and remains controversial. Read More

Asian J Neurosurg 2018 Apr-Jun;13(2):440-441

Department of Neurosurgery, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Dr. RML Hospital, New Delhi, India.

Pneumorrhachis (PR) - the phenomenon of intraspinal air - is a rare radiological finding. The presence of intraspinal air is usually after epidural injections, spinal manipulations, synovial cysts, degenerative disc disease, and epidural abscess. PR is mostly asymptomatic but can also be symptomatic. Read More

Case Rep Orthop 2018 18;2018:9076509. Epub 2018 Feb 18.

Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Akita University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1-1 Hondo, Akita 010-8543, Japan.

Symptomatic ossification of the anterior longitudinal ligament (OALL) is rare. However, when the osteophyte enlarges and obstructive symptoms occur, the patient may require surgery. We present a case of pyogenic spondylitis caused by methicillin-resistant associated with tracheostomy followed by resection of OALL. Read More

BMJ Case Rep 2018 Apr 17;2018. Epub 2018 Apr 17.

Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA.

A 26-year-old man with history of extensive tophaceous gout presented to the referring facility with decreased bilateral lower extremity sensation and motor function that began acutely 1 week prior to admission and had progressed to urinary incontinence. The patient was admitted to the intensive care unit due to concern for sepsis secondary to epidural abscess. The patient was started on empiric vancomycin and cefepime. Read More

Skeletal Radiol 2018 Oct 14;47(10):1357-1369. Epub 2018 Apr 14.

Department of Radiology, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, 2nd Floor Tower Wing, Great Maze Pond, London, SE1 9RT, UK.

Objective: Very few reports have previously described spondylodiscitis as a potential complication of endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR). We present to our knowledge the first case series of spondylodiscitis following EVAR based on our institution's experience over an 11-year period. Particular attention is paid to the key imaging features and challenges encountered when performing spinal imaging in this complex patient group. Read More

Spine J 2018 Apr 9. Epub 2018 Apr 9.

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA. Electronic address:

Background Context: Recurrence of spinal epidural abscess (SEA) after treatment is an important cause of continued morbidity for patients.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify independent predictors of recurrence of SEA.

Study Design/setting: This was a retrospective, case-control study. Read More

Indian J Nucl Med 2018 Apr-Jun;33(2):158-160

Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Infanta Cristina, Badajoz, Spain.

Gout is a common metabolic disorder, typically diagnosed in peripheral joints. Tophaceous deposits in lumbar spine are a very rare condition with very few cases reported in literature. The following is a case report of a 52-year-old patient with low back pain, left leg pain, and numbness. Read More

Clin Med (Lond) 2018 Mar;18(2):150-154

Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK

Bone and joint infections include septic arthritis, prosthetic joint infections, osteomyelitis, spinal infections (discitis, vertebral osteomyelitis and epidural abscess) and diabetic foot osteomyelitis. All of these may present through the acute medical take. This article discusses the pathogenesis of infection and highlights the importance of taking a careful history and fully examining the patient. Read More

J Bone Joint Surg Am 2018 Apr;100(7):546-555

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery (A.A.S., P.T.O., M.B.H., and J.H.S.) and Division of Infectious Diseases (S.B.N.), Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.

Background: Prompt diagnosis and treatment are critical in spinal epidural abscess, as delay can lead to paralysis or death. The initial management decision for spinal epidural abscess is not always clear, with the literature showing conflicting results. When considering nonoperative management, it is crucial to avoid failure of treatment, given the neurologic compromise incurred through failure. Read More

Clin Spine Surg 2018 Jul;31(6):225-238

Department of Medical Imaging and Intervention, Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou and Chang-Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.

Surgical site infections after posterior spinal surgery may lead to spondylodiscitis, pseudarthrosis, correction loss, adverse neurological sequelae, sepsis, and poor outcomes if not treated immediately. Infection rates vary depending on the type and extent of operative procedures, use of instrumentation, and patients' risk factors. Image evaluation is crucial for early diagnosis and should be complementary to clinical routes, laboratory survey, and treatment timing. Read More

J Int Med Res 2018 Jun 27;46(6):2461-2465. Epub 2018 Mar 27.

1 Department of Neurology, Tianjin Neurological Institute, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.

Objective We herein present a case involving a prevertebral abscess complicated by a spinal epidural abscess (SEA) secondary to intradiscal oxygen-ozone chemonucleolysis for treatment of a cervical disc herniation. Methods A 67-year-old woman with a history of intradiscal oxygen-ozone chemonucleolysis developed numbness and weakness in her right upper and bilateral lower extremities followed by urinary retention. Her symptoms did not respond to intravenous antibiotics alone. Read More