Intramedullary spinal cavernoma: clinical presentation, microsurgical approach, and long-term outcome in a cohort of 48 patients.

OBJECT Intramedullary spinal cavernoma (ISC) is a rare entity and accounts for approximately 5%-12% of all spinal vascular pathologies. The purpose of the present study was to examine the influence of clinical presentation, localization, and different surgical approaches on long-term outcome in patients treated for ISC. METHODS The authors performed a retrospective single-center study of 48 cases of ISC treated microsurgically over the past 28 years.

Lumbar spinal stenosis: prognostic factors for bilateral microsurgical decompression using a unilateral approach.

Objective: We describe a prospective cohort study that investigated the effectiveness of microsurgical bilateral decompression using unilateral laminotomy for lumbar spinal stenosis and assessed the factors influencing the outcome.

Methods: A total of 165 consecutive patients underwent decompression for lumbar spinal stenosis. They were divided into 3 age groups: A (<65 years), B (65-75 years), and C (>75 years).

Anatomic midline marking during cervical arthroplasty with ProDisc-C: an alternative, simple, and reliable method: technical note.

Study Design: Retrospective study.

Objective: To report the results of a different, and previously undescribed, technique to anatomically mark the midline during cervical arthroplasty.

Summary Of Background Data: The ProDisc-C prosthesis should be implanted in the vertebral body midline.

The translaminar approach to lumbar disc herniations impinging the exiting root.

Objective: We undertook a prospective, non-randomized study on the translaminar approach for the treatment of cephalad extruded disc fragments impinging the exiting root.

Methods: Between May 2000 and July 2004, 104 patients (59 men)-presenting with upper lumbar root compression in 74% of the cases -underwent a translaminar approach. The mean age was 57 years (range, 27-80 yr).

Intraoperative measurement of pharynx/esophagus retraction during anterior cervical surgery. Part II: perfusion.

Early postoperative dysphagia after anterior cervical surgery is a well-known phenomenon with so far unknown etiology. We hypothesised that direct pressure induced by the medial retractor blade on pharynx/esophagus mucosal wall leads to local ischemia. Subsequently postoperative hyperemia and swelling of the pharynx/esophagus may result in swallowing disturbance.

Intraoperative sonography of intra- and extramedullary tumors.

Intraoperative ultrasound (IOUS) was used in planning the operative resection of intradural spinal tumors, to define its diagnostic potential and limitations. Since 1997, 78 patients diagnosed with an ependymoma (n = 24), astrocytoma (n = 7), hemangioblastoma (n = 7), neurinoma (n = 15), meningioma (n = 17) and filum terminale ependymoma (n = 8) were examined using intraoperative transdural sonography. Intramedullary tumors turned out to show a heterogeneous image with occasional cystic alterations and an indistinct demarcation to the myelon of comparable echogenicity.