Medium-term outcome of posterior surgery in the treatment of non-tuberculous bacterial spinal infection.

Objective: to evaluate the outcome of posterior spinal stabilization surgery for the management of bacterial spinal infection.

Methods: 21 patients with bacterial infection were managed surgically with posterior stabilization. Outcome measures included neurological status.

Comparison of peri-operative and 12-month lifestyle outcomes in minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion versus conventional lumbar fusion.

Aim: To compare the results of minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MI-TLIF) versus conventional lumbar interbody fusion in terms of peri-operative and long-term outcome measures.

Design: Retrospective secondary data analysis.

Subjects: The study involved patients who had primary single-level spinal interbody fusion between October 2012 and May 2014 with 1-year follow-up, resulting in 36 patients for MI-TLIF and 60 patients for open surgery.

A low radiation computed tomography protocol for monitoring shunted hydrocephalus.

Background: Computed tomography (CT) requires highest radiation doses in radiology. The collective dose from the use of radiation in medicine is rising, partly due to increase in CT use as well as the growing popularity of multislice scanners. There is growing concern from multiple studies that radiation from repeated CT scans could induce malignancies later in life.

Metastatic coagulopathic subdural hematoma: A dismal prognosis.

Background: Dural metastases have been found in about 8-9% of patients who died of cancer, in most autopsy series. Dural metastases presenting with chronic subdural hematoma are rare, with only about 55 cases reported in the literature.

Case Description: We discuss the case of a 72 year old gentleman with prostate cancer who presented with a chronic subdural hematoma which was drained surgically.

Multiple cerebral aneurysms secondary to cardiac myxoma.

A 45-year-old lady presented with transient ischemic attack symptoms. Subsequent CT and DSA revealed multiple fusiform dilatations of cerebral vessels. A search for sources of emboli led to an atrial myxoma being found on echocardiogram.

Investigation of photoplethysmographic changes using a static compression model of spinal cord injury.

Little is known about cell death in spinal cord tissue following compression injury, despite compression being a key component of spinal injuries. Currently models are used to mimic compression injury in animals and the effects of the compression evaluated by observing the extent and duration of recovery of normal motor function in the days and weeks following the injury. A fiber-optic photoplethysmography system was used to investigate whether pulsation of the small arteries in the spinal cord occurred before, during and after compressive loads were applied to the tissue.

Nasoethmoid schwannoma with intracranial extension. Case report and review of literature.

A 27-year-old woman presented with a six-month history of intermittent headache and a 2-week history of blurring of vision. Subsequently a 4 cm large enhancing lesion in the left frontal parafalcine region with a small extension into the nasoethmoid sinus was found. This was thought to be either an anterior cranial fossa meningioma or an esthesioblastoma.

An optical fiber photoplethysmographic system for central nervous system tissue.

A new system for measuring the oxygen saturation of blood within tissue has been developed, for a number of potential patient monitoring applications. This proof of concept project aims to address the unmet need of real-time measurement of oxygen saturation in the central nervous system (CNS) for patients recovering from neurosurgery or trauma, by developing a fiber optic signal acquisition system for internal placement through small apertures. The development and testing of a two-wavelength optical fiber reflectance photoplethysmography (PPG) system is described.