1/23. Anomaly of the axis causing cervical myelopathy. Case report.Although the craniovertebral junction is one of the most common sites at which anomalies develop, spina bifida occulta of the axis (C-2) associated with cervical myelopathy is extremely rare. The authors present the case of a 46-year-old man who developed progressive tetraparesis caused by a cervical canal stenosis at the level of the axis. The spinal cord was compressed by an invaginated bifid lamina of the axis. The patient made a remarkable recovery after undergoing decompressive laminectomy of C-3 and removal of the bifid posterior arch of the axis.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = occult (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/23. Atlantal stenosis: a rare cause of quadriparesis in a child. Case report.The authors report the case of a 3-year-old boy who suffered from quadriparesis and respiratory distress after failing to execute a somersault properly. neuroimaging revealed spinal cord contusion with marked spinal canal stenosis at the level of the atlas. No subtle instability, occult fracture, or other congenital abnormalities were confirmed. spinal cord contusion with marked canal stenosis is rare, and only several adult cases have been reported. Severe stenosis at the level of the atlas may predispose individuals to severe spinal cord contusion, as occurred in our patient after sustaining trivial trauma.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = occult (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/23. Cerebral dissection from syringomyelia demonstrated using cine magnetic resonance imaging. Case report.A 16-year-old boy presented at the authors' emergency department with a sudden deterioration of respiration. He had been paraparetic for 3 years and had become quadriplegic 2 days previously. Magnetic resonance images revealed a Chiari I malformation and a hydromyelic cavity extending from C-1 to T-11. Rostrally, a small cylindrically shaped lesion extended from the cervicomedullary junction to the left semioval center. The patient made a dramatic neurological recovery following suboccipital craniectomy and upper cervical laminectomies with augmentation duraplasties followed by placement of a syringoperitoneal shunt.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 608.18773821155keywords = respiration (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/23. Occult maxillary sinusitis as a cause of fever in tetraplegia: 2 case reports.Common causes of fever in tetraplegia include urinary tract infection, respiratory complications, bacteremia, impaired autoregulation, deep vein thrombosis, osteomyelitis, drug fever, and intra-abdominal abscess. We report 2 acute tetraplegic patients who presented with fever of unknown origin. After extensive work-up, they were diagnosed with occult maxillary sinusitis. A search of current literature revealed no reports of sinusitis as a potential source of fever in recently spinal cord--injured patients. patients with tetraplegia, especially in the acute phase of spinal cord injury, often undergo nasotracheal intubation or nasogastric tube placement, which may result in mucosal irritation and nasal congestion. All of the previously mentioned factors, in combination with poor sinus drainage related to supine position, predispose them to developing maxillary sinusitis. The 2 consecutive cases show the importance of occult sinusitis in the differential diagnosis of fever in patients with tetraplegia.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2keywords = occult (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/23. Traumatic tetraplegia: noninvasive respiratory management in the acute setting.A 15-yr-old patient with high-level spinal cord injury developed ventilatory failure 24 hr after hospital admission and required continuous ventilatory support. Although he lost all ventilator-free breathing tolerance, he was managed by receiving noninvasive intermittent positive-pressure ventilation rather than intermittent positive-pressure ventilation via an endotracheal intubation. Cooperative, uncomplicated, acutely injured patients with spinal cord injury who develop ventilatory failure are candidates to use noninvasive intermittent positive-pressure ventilation to avoid intubation.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 57835.948088704keywords = positive-pressure (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/23. Aerophagia as a cause of ineffective phrenic nerve pacing in high tetraplegia: a case report.We report an unusual case of aerophagia after traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI), which shows the profound effects of abdominal distension on respiratory ability in such individuals. In this case, abdominal distension resulting from aerophagia reduced the effectiveness of phrenic nerve pacing on diaphragm function necessitating greater use of positive-pressure ventilatory (PPV) support. Reduction of postprandial gastric air and abdominal distension with insertion of a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube ameliorated the condition and allowed for more effective phrenic nerve pacing and greater PPV-free breathing. We are unaware of a similar case involving an individual with an SCI.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 19278.649362901keywords = positive-pressure (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/23. Tetraplegia after coronary artery bypass grafting.The authors present a rare case of a cervical cord dysfunction after uncomplicated coronary artery bypass grafting. The preoperative neurological examination did not reveal any abnormalities; however, the postoperative magnetic resonance image showed significant spinal canal stenosis at the same levels as high signal lesions. Although the pathophysiological basis of the case was impossible to determine retrospectively, it seems probable that placing the neck in an extended position during surgery might have aggravated a preexisting spinal canal stenosis to produce cervical injury. IMPLICATIONS: The authors present a rare case of tetraplegia after coronary artery bypass grafting. It is suggested that neck extension during surgery might have aggravated an occult preexisting cervical spinal canal stenosis to produce cervical injury.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = occult (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/23. Locked-in syndrome due to metastatic pontomedullary tumor--case report.A 21-year-old man presented with an extremely rare case of locked-in syndrome caused by a metastatic brainstem tumor manifesting as quadriplegia, lower cranial nerve pareses, and irregular respiration. Cranial magnetic resonance imaging revealed a large pontomedullary tumor. An emergency operation was performed via a posterior fossa approach and the tumor was grossly totally removed. The histological diagnosis was malignant melanoma. The clinical status of the patient remained unchanged and he died on postoperative day 34 of diffuse bronchopneumonia. Locked-in syndrome is characterized by quadriplegia, lower cranial nerve paralysis, and mutism but with maintenance of consciousness, as well as vertical eye movements and eyelid blinking. This case suggests that locked-in syndrome should be considered in any patient seemingly comatose or stuporous, this syndrome may be due to a pontomedullary tumor, and malignant melanoma metastasis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients who present with brainstem tumor.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 608.18773821155keywords = respiration (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/23. Effect of acute aminophylline administration on diaphragm function in high cervical tetraplegia: a case report.theophylline has been shown to have beneficial effects on phrenic nerve and diaphragm activation. This case report involves a C5-C6 chronic tetraplegic patient with acute respiratory failure and ventilator dependence. IV aminophylline was administered in increasing doses (2 mg/kg, 4 mg/kg, and 6 mg/kg) over the course of 1 day. diaphragm surface electromyography (sEMG), measures of respiration (tidal volume, minute ventilation, and frequency), and serum theophylline levels were captured. diaphragm sEMG activity increased by a maximum of 50% at therapeutic levels. The rapid shallow breathing index dropped from 112 to 86. The subject was successfully weaned from ventilatory support. We conclude that administration of aminophylline facilitated weaning from ventilatory support in this tetraplegic patient.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 608.18773821155keywords = respiration (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/23. Recurrent pulmonary embolism and pulmonary hypertension in chronic tetraplegia.STUDY DESIGN: Case report. OBJECTIVE: To describe an unusual case of progressive pulmonary hypertension due to recurrent pulmonary embolism in a chronically paralyzed spinal cord injury patient. SETTING: veterans Administration Hospital, West Roxbury, MA, USA. SUBJECT: A 57-year-old man, tetraplegic, sensory incomplete and motor complete for 30 years due to a diving accident, complained of lightheadedness and shortness of breath intermittently for 7 years. Examination during the latest episode revealed anxiety, confusion, respirations 28 per min, blood pressure 80/60 mmHg, and arterial pH 7.41, P(CO2) 28 mmHg, P(O2) 95 mmHg on 2 l of oxygen. A chest film 2 weeks earlier had revealed a right-sided cutoff of pulmonary vasculature; the current film showed right-sided pleural effusion. review of EKGs showed a trend of increasing right axis deviation with recovery and recurrences during the previous 9 years and a current incomplete right bundle branch block with clockwise rotation and inverted T waves in V1-4. Computerized tomography with contrast material revealed small pulmonary emboli, but only in retrospect. The patient died shortly after scanning. autopsy: The pulmonary arteries were free of thromboemboli on gross examination but medium and small-sized arteries were constricted or obliterated with thrombotic material microscopically. The estimated ages of the thromboemboli ranged from days to years. The right ventricle was hypertrophied; the coronary arteries were patent. CONCLUSION: Recurrent pulmonary emboli resulted in chronic pulmonary hypertension and eventual death in a patient with chronic tetraplegia.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 608.18773821155keywords = respiration (Clic here for more details about this article) |
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