1/79. Parenchymatous cerebral neurocysticercosis in a quadriplegic patient.OBJECTIVE: To present and discuss a case of cerebral neurocysticercosis in a quadriplegic patient. DESIGN: Case report of a case of neurocysticercosis in a high level spinal cord injury (SCI) patient who developed episodes of autonomic dysreflexia and orthostatic hypotension associated with transient neurologic deficits and seizures. SETTING: spinal cord Unit of the University Hospital of Geneva, switzerland. SUBJECT: Single patient case report. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Clinical and radiological magnetic resonance imaging follow-up of the patient between July 1995 and October 1997. RESULTS: Treatment of cysticercosis with praziquantel relieved the patient from autonomic dysreflexia, symptomatic orthostatic hypotension, transitory neurological deficits and seizures. CONCLUSION: diagnosis of neurocysticercosis in a quadriplegic patient might be difficult because of frequent overlaps with some usual symptoms occurring in high level SCI, mostly autonomic dysreflexia and orthostatic hypotension. neurocysticercosis should be kept in mind when a SCI patient living in, or coming from endemic zones presents with new neurological abnormalities and seizures. magnetic resonance imaging appears to be more sensitive than computerised tomography to confirm the diagnosis of active cysticercosis. Treatment with praziquantel associated with cimetidine to increase the drug bioavailability and prednisone to reduce the inflammatory reaction gives good results.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = seizure (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/79. Team-building interventions for interdisciplinary teams: a case study of a pediatric client.This article presents a case study involving a challenging client on a pediatric rehabilitation unit, describes his impact on an interdisciplinary team that had recently been formed from two units from different hospitals, and discusses the resulting need for a team-building intervention for the new unit. The context of the problem, the client's case study, and a description of a series of seminars are presented and analyzed from a group developmental perspective.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.9730485924895keywords = impact (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/79. The development of a nurse-directed computerized functional electrical stimulation program.Today's spinal-cord-injured (SCI) person is discharged from the inpatient clinical setting very early in his or her recovery process. Faced with the tremendous challenges of relearning the skills of daily living and psychologically adjusting to a catastrophic injury, the newly injured person is thrust into an overwhelming environment. As early as 1994, when inpatient stays were longer, concern was expressed about the impact of early discharge on the health and well-being of persons with SCI (Ditunno & Formal, 1994). For over 10 years, the Medical Illness counseling Center (MICC) has offered a community-based, nurse-directed program of Computerized Functional Electrical Stimulation (CFES) for persons with SCI. The program is founded on the belief that when multi-system deterioration associated with paralysis is avoided and a behavioral approach is used, the person with SCI will have a renewed sense of well-being that enables him or her to overcome the challenges of daily living. Over time, the need for expansion of the program became apparent; it evolved into a comprehensive package of medical, nursing, and psychological care. This article describes the essential elements that comprised a successful program design, the benefits of participation in CFES, and the significance of this technology in a nurse-managed setting.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.9730485924895keywords = impact (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/79. A post-traumatic ligamentum flavum progressive hematoma: a case report.STUDY DESIGN: A case report. OBJECTIVES: To understand a rare case of ligamentum flavum progressive hematoma. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Previously there were only two reports about ligamentum flavum hematoma. methods: A patient was surgically treated for ligamentum flavum hematoma causing progressive L5 radiculopathy. Clinical and neuroradiologic features were reported, and the literature was reviewed. RESULTS: The etiology of this case could not be defined except by minor back injury. In spite of conservative therapy, the symptoms were progressive for 7 months. magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated the epidural mass lesion at L4-L5 that was continuous with the ligamentum flavum. The mass was hypointense in T1-weighted images and central hyperintense and marginal hypointense in T2-weighted images. The margin was well enhanced by Gd-DTPA administration. After removal of the mass lesion, the patient's symptoms completely resolved. Before surgery, accurate diagnosis was difficult even based on magnetic resonance imaging and was achieved after histologic examinations. CONCLUSIONS: Surgery could be a choice of the treatment modality to resolve symptoms in ligamentum flavum hematoma.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1291.6416854725keywords = post-traumatic (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/79. Post-traumatic syringomyelia following complete neurological recovery.OBJECTIVE: To describe the later neurologic deterioration secondary to the appearance of a post-traumatic syringomyelic cavity, in a patient who, in the initial phase, had an incomplete spinal cord lesion (asia C), which improved to asia E. methods: A 52-year-old male patient who, at the age of 19 (1965), suffered a spinal cord injury. He presented with a fracture of the sixth and seventh cervical neurological segment at the time of the lesion, evolving to asia E. Nine years after the traumatism, he began to feel pain accompanied by a sensory and motor deficit. RESULTS: With the aid of myelography and MRI, the existence of a syringomyelic cavity was detected, which extended from the fourth to the seventh cervical segments. The patient was operated on, on various occasions, placing a syringo-subarachnoid shunt. The neurological status of the patient continued to deteriorate and, at present, he has a complete lesion below the fourth neurological cervical segment with a partially preserved sensitive area up to T1. CONCLUSION: The development of the syringomyelic cavity could be one of the causes of later neurologic deterioration in patients with traumatic spinal cord injury with neurological recovery 'ad integrum' in the initial phase of spinal cord injury.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 322.91042136812keywords = post-traumatic (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/79. Silent hydronephrosis/pyonephrosis due to upper urinary tract calculi in spinal cord injury patients.STUDY DESIGN: A study of four patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) in whom a diagnosis of hydronephrosis or pyonephrosis was delayed since these patients did not manifest the traditional signs and symptoms. OBJECTIVES: To learn from these cases as to what steps should be taken to prevent any delay in the diagnosis and treatment of hydronephrosis/pyonephrosis in SCI patients. SETTING: Regional spinal injuries Centre, Southport, UK. methods: A retrospective review of cases of hydronephrosis or pyonephrosis due to renal/ ureteric calculus in SCI patients between 1994 and 1999, in whom there was a delay in diagnosis. RESULTS: A T-5 paraplegic patient had two episodes of urinary tract infection (UTI) which were successfully treated with antibiotics. When he developed UTI again, an intravenous urography (IVU) was performed. The IVU revealed a non-visualised kidney and a renal pelvic calculus. In a T-6 paraplegic patient, the classical symptom of flank pain was absent, and the symptoms of sweating and increased spasms were attributed to a syrinx. A routine IVU showed non-visualisation of the left kidney with a stone impacted in the pelviureteric junction. In two tetraplegic patients, an obstructed kidney became infected, and there was a delay in the diagnosis of pyonephrosis. The clinician's attention was focused on a co-existent, serious, infective pathology elsewhere. The primary focus of sepsis was chest infection in one patient and a deep pressure sore in the other. The former patient succumbed to chest infection and autopsy revealed pyonephrosis with an abscess between the left kidney and left hemidiaphragm and xanthogranulomatous inflammation of perinephric fatty tissue. In the latter patient, an abdominal X-ray did not reveal any calculus but computerised axial tomography showed the presence of renal and ureteric calculi. CONCLUSIONS: The symptoms of hydronephrosis may be bizarre and non-specific in SCI patients. The symptoms include feeling unwell, abdominal discomfort, increased spasms, and autonomic dysreflexia. physicians should be aware of the serious import of these symptoms in SCI patients.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.9730485924895keywords = impact (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/79. An implantable upper extremity neuroprosthesis in a growing child with a C5 spinal cord injury.OBJECTIVES: To implement a functional electrical stimulation (FES) hand neuroprosthesis called the Freehand System in a growing child with spinal cord injury (SCI) using extra lead wire to accommodate limb growth, and to evaluate the performance of the Freehand System during the subject's maturation. SETTING: Pediatric orthopedic hospital specializing in SCI rehabilitation. SUBJECT: Ten-year-old female patient with a C5 level SCI. METHOD: The Freehand System was implanted. Eight electrodes were implanted to targeted forearm and hand muscles to provide grasp and release function. The lead wire associated with each electrode was pathed subcutaneously up the arm with 4 cm of extra lead distributed throughout the path to accommodate expected limb growth. All leads were attached to a stimulator placed in the upper chest. Measures of lead unwinding, limb growth, stimulated muscle strength, and hand function were made at 6 and 16 months after implant. RESULTS: By 16 months post implant, the upper limb growth plates were closed and humeral and radial bone growth combined was 2.7 cm from the time of surgery. For all eight leads, lead unwinding in the upper arm was approximately 1.2 cm and was comparable to humeral bone growth (1.4 cm). lead unwinding in the lower arm was also measurable for the two electrodes in hand muscles. Six of eight electrodes maintained grade 3 or better stimulated muscle strength throughout the growth period according to a manual muscle test. Of the two other electrodes, one appeared to have lost function due to depletion of excess lead. However, hand function with FES was comparable at 6 and 16 months post implant suggesting that growth did not negatively impact performance with the FES system. hand function with FES was improved over voluntary hand function as well. Using the Freehand System, a pinch force of approximately 15 N was achieved compared to 1.3 N of voluntary tenodesis pinch force. Scores on the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) increased by 9 points when FES was used as compared to voluntary function. Improvements occurred primarily in eating and grooming. Independence in writing was achieved only with FES. CONCLUSIONS: For this child, hand function with the Freehand System was sustained over the growth period and was a significant functional improvement over voluntary hand function. By using excess lead wire, the Freehand System was successfully implemented before skeletal maturity, affording the child improved hand function earlier than would be otherwise indicated.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.9730485924895keywords = impact (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/79. carcinoid tumor mistaken for persistent neurogenic bowel symptoms in a patient with paraplegia: a case report.neurogenic bowel in spinal cord injury (SCI) can present with constipation and diarrhea as ongoing problems. Usually, these manifestations are adequately controlled with modification in the bowel program. When these symptoms persist, other causes should be considered. This case report describes a jejunal carcinoid tumor with colonic extension that was diagnosed in a paraplegic patient with persistent constipation and diarrhea. A 39-year-old man sustained a T1 paraplegia with neurogenic bowel and bladder dysfunction from a gunshot wound. His bowels were initially managed adequately with digital disimpaction. Over the next 8 years, he had intermittent constipation that was managed with the addition of various suppositories. He then developed progressively worsening constipation, and other gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms. Although his symptoms initially resolved with medical management, the constipation worsened. Upper endoscopy revealed a submucosal bulge in the duodenal bulb. A month later, gallstones were found on renal ultrasound performed to evaluate recurrent urinary tract infections. He underwent cholecystectomy, but his GI symptoms persisted over the next several months. Repeat upper endoscopy subsequently revealed an ulcerated tumor at the duodenojejunal flexure. An upper-GI scan with small bowel follow through showed a proximal jejunal mass. The patient underwent laparotomy with resection of the mass. Final pathologic diagnosis was malignant carcinoid tumor. This case shows the importance of entertaining other clinical entities in patients with SCI when constipation and diarrhea persist despite adequate management.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.9730485924895keywords = impact (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/79. Determining impairment following spinal cord injury.Determining the level of impairment and disability of an individual with SCI is reasonably straightforward. An impairment rating may be determined by either analyzing the impact of the SCI on various bodily systems or by considering the injury as a more global diagnostic category. Functional abilities based on level of neurologic preservation are well recognized. Although secondary medical complications, which may affect both impairment and disability, can arise at any time after SCI, neurologic and functional abilities are overwhelmingly stabilized by 12 months postinjury. A comprehensive history and physical examination should allow even the inexperienced examiner to obtain a valid determination of impairment after SCI. Although a more functionally oriented and perhaps interdisciplinary evaluation is needed to assess disability, it is also fairly straightforward. On the other hand, an evaluation of handicap is a more challenging undertaking, requiring a more detailed knowledge of the field of vocational rehabilitation.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.9730485924895keywords = impact (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/79. The role of acute decompression and restoration of spinal alignment in the prevention of post-traumatic syringomyelia: case report and review of recent literature.STUDY DESIGN: Case report. INTRODUCTION: Acute post-traumatic syringomyelia formation after spinal cord injury has been considered a rare complication. At this writing, most recent reports have surfaced in neurosurgical journals. As an entity, post-traumatic syringomyelia has not been widely appreciated. It has been confused with conditions such as Hansen's disease or ulnar nerve compression at the cubital tunnel. One study also demonstrated that the occurrence of syrinx is significantly correlated with spinal stenosis after treatment, and that an inadequate reduction of the spine may lead to the formation of syrinx. This reported case describes a patient in whom post-traumatic syringomyelia began to develop 3 weeks after injury, which improved neurologically after adequate decompression. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: A 30-year-old man sustained a 20-foot fall at work. He presented with a complete spinal cord injury below T4 secondary to a T4 fracture dislocation. The patient underwent open reduction and internal fixation of T1-T8. After 3 weeks, the patient was noted to have ascending weakness in his bilateral upper extremities and some clawing of both hands. methods: A computed tomography myelogram demonstrated inability of contrast to pass through the T4-T5 region from a lumbar puncture. An incomplete reduction was noted. The canal showed significant stenosis. A magnetic resonance image of the patient's C-spine showed increased signal in the substance of the cord extending into the C1-C2 area. The patient returned to the operating room for T3-T5 decompressive laminectomy and posterolateral decompression including the pedicles, disc, and posterior aspect of the body. Intraoperative ultrasound monitoring showed a good flow of cerebrospinal fluid past the injured segment. RESULTS: On postoperative day 1, the clawing posture of the patient's hands was significantly diminished, and the patient noted an immediate improvement in his hand and arm strength. Over the next few days, the patient's strength in the bilateral upper extremities increased to motor Grade 4/5 on manual testing. A magnetic resonance image 4 weeks after decompression showed significant improvement in the cord diameter and signal. CONCLUSIONS: Post-traumatic syringomyelia has not been reported at so early a stage after injury. This disorder is an important clinical entity that must be recognized to prevent potentially fatal or devastating complications. As evidenced by the reported patient and the literature, if this disorder is discovered and treated early, permanent deficit can be avoided. The prevention of post-traumatic syringomyelia requires anatomic realignment and stabilization of the spine without stenosis, even in the case of complete injuries, to maintain the proper dynamics of cerebrospinal fluid flow.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2583.283370945keywords = post-traumatic (Clic here for more details about this article) |
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