Minimally invasive treatments of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures: vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty.

Although nonsurgical treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures, including medication, exercise, bracing, and bed rest, have been reasonably effective, vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty have evolved as valuable adjunctive treatment options. Over the past decade, vertebroplasty, which involves the percutaneous injection of bone cement directly into the fractured vertebral body, has been used as a treatment for painful osteoporotic vertebral body compression fractures, a leading cause of morbidity in the elderly. Kyphoplasty, another minimally invasive procedure that allows for correction of spinal deformity and for controlled cement filling of the fractured vertebral body, involves the percutaneous cannulation of the vertebral body followed by the placement of an inflatable bone tamp.

Occurrence of new vertebral body fracture after percutaneous vertebroplasty in patients with osteoporosis.

Purpose: To investigate the prevalence and findings of vertebral body compression fractures adjacent to those previously treated with percutaneous vertebroplasty.

Materials And Methods: The findings in 177 patients treated with percutaneous vertebroplasty for more than 2 years were reviewed retrospectively. The following parameters were reviewed: primary diagnosis, patient age and sex, date of treatment with vertebroplasty, vertebral level(s) treated, pedicular approach, and amount of polymethylmethacrylate injected per vertebral body.

Unusual presentation of primary hyperparathyroidism with osteoporosis, hypercalcemia, and normal parathyroid hormone level.

We report the case of a woman with osteoporosis, chronic hypercalcemia, and normal levels of parathyroid hormone (PTH). Surgical exploration revealed hyperplasia of the parathyroid glands. Hypercalcemia was corrected immediately by surgery, and this was followed by a dramatic improvement in bone mineral density.

Hot flushes in men with pituitary adenoma.

Background: Hot flushes are common in menopausal women and also in men made acutely hypogonadal after orchiectomy or testicular injury. It is, however, an unusual symptom in patients with hypogonadism secondary to pituitary tumors.

Methods: In evaluating the histories of men with hypogonadal state associated with nonfunctioning pituitary macroadenoma we were struck by the presence of hot flushes in four of them.