Pharyngolaryngeal lesions in patients undergoing cervical spine surgery through the anterior approach: contribution of methylprednisolone.

Cervical spinal surgery through anterior approaches can lead to ear, nose and throat (ENT) complications, some of which, such as obstruction of upper airways by edema, are potentially life threatening. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the incidence of various categories of ENT lesions and to determine whether preventive treatment with methylprednisolone (Mp) is useful in this indication. In a prospective trial, 236 patients who were undergoing anterior cervical spine surgery were separated into two groups, a control group (group I: 158 patients) and a group receiving 1 mg/kg of Mp intravenously at the end of the operation and 12 and 24 h later (group II: 78 patients).

[A prospective study of ENT complication following surgery of the cervical spine by the anterior approach (preliminary results)].

In order to evaluate complications due to cervical spine surgery using the anterior cervical approach a prospective study was conducted on 125 patients. ENT examination with the fibroscope was employed for all the patients before the procedure. The patients were operated on under general anesthesia and were intubated with an armoured tube, and then were placed in an intensive care unit for 24 hours.

[Chronic cervico-brachial neuralgia treated by cervical epidural injection of corticosteroids. Long-term results].

Objective: To assess long-term results of a single cervical epidural corticosteroid injection (CECI) in patients suffering from chronic cervicobrachial neuralgia (CCBN).

Study Design: Open prospective study.

Patients: A CECI was performed in 29 patients suffering for more than 12 months from a non-compressive and non-surgical CCBN with permanent pain for at least three months non relieved by an adequately conducted medical treatment.

Long-term results of cervical epidural steroid injection with and without morphine in chronic cervical radicular pain.

To evaluate the long-term effectiveness of a single cervical epidural steroid injection (CESI) performed with or without morphine, 24 patients, without need of surgery, but suffering for more than 12 months from cervical radicular pain, were included in a prospective and randomised study. The cervical epidural space was injected (C7-D1; 18-ga needle) with an increasing volume (10 ml maximum) of isotonic saline solution to exacerbate the patient's radicular pain. The patients were then randomly allocated to 2 groups: the steroid group (group S, n = 14) received an equivalent volume of 0.

Study of correlation between intradiscal pressure and magnetic resonance imaging data in evaluation of disc degeneration. Therapeutic issue with percutaneous nucleotomy.

Intradiscal pressure and volume measurements using discomanometry were correlated to features of degeneration noted with magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in 36 discs in patients scheduled for percutaneous nucleotomy. Discomanometric data (intradiscal pressure and degree of pressure loss at 0 and 60 seconds after intradiscal infusion, area under the pressure curve, and discal volume) were not correlated with the MR data (degree of disc height loss and degree of signal intensity loss on T2-weighted images). Results of nucleotomy were strongly correlated with discomanometric data but not with the studied MR factors.