Rapid Neurologic Deterioration due to an Enlarging Thoracic Spine Synovial Cyst: A Case Report.

JBJS Case Connect

Department of Orthopaedic Spine Surgery, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Published: February 2021

Case: We present the case of a 69-year-old man arriving to our clinic after a previous outside hospital recommendation of L1-S1 fusion due to degenerative scoliosis. A thoracic spine synovial cyst was identified through magnetic resonance imaging. The patient had rapid progression of his neurologic deficit due to cyst enlargement. We elected to perform cyst decompression and instrumented fusion of the involved thoracic segment. The patient rapidly regained full neurologic function. After the one-year follow-up, he remained asymptomatic with no progression of thoracolumbar degeneration.

Conclusions: Thoracic spine synovial facet cysts are uncommonly encountered. Decompression alone or decompression and fusion are both viable treatment options depending on the surgeon's assessment of spine stability after decompression. This diagnosis should be considered in patients presenting with unilateral lower extremity upper motor neuron findings.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.2106/JBJS.CC.19.00627DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

thoracic spine
12
spine synovial
12
synovial cyst
8
rapid neurologic
4
neurologic deterioration
4
deterioration enlarging
4
thoracic
4
enlarging thoracic
4
spine
4
cyst
4

Similar Publications

Background: Halo-pelvic traction is a relatively safe treatment for preoperative spinal deformity correction in patients with severe scoliosis. Common device-related complications include local infection, back discomfort, and nerve compression symptoms. However, there are potential risks of mechanical compression of bronchial structures, especially in patients with severe thoracic lordosis and scoliosis, which can lead to life-threatening airway obstruction.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Clinical Scenario: Shoulder pain is the third most common musculoskeletal complaint. The most common type of shoulder pain is subacromial impingement syndrome (SIS). The concept of regional interdependence demonstrates that body regions are interrelated, affecting how they function.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: The aim was to assess the clinical outcomes after posterior spinal fusion (PSF) in patients with Scheuermann's disease (SD).

Methods: SD undergoing PSF were retrospectively analyzed. Clinical outcome was determined using SRS-22- and Eq.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

A patient in his early adolescence, who was treated for T5-T6 tubercular spondylodiscitis with an un-instrumented decompression, presented at 36 months post-index surgery, for post-laminectomy instability and kyphosis, after completing his requisite antitubercular treatment. He underwent thoracic posterior instrumented kyphosis correction and anterior reconstruction, with a T5-T6 partial corpectomy and corpectomy spacer placement, through a posterior midline incision. On the second postoperative day, he started complaining of pain on the left side of his chest, abdomen and left shoulder.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

: The purpose of this study was to quantify the impact of smartphone use while sitting on the toilet on the spinal flexion angles and the time effect. : Measurements of the spinal flexion angles in the sagittal plane were made by thirty participants while they sat on the toilet for 10 min, using a smartphone in either one, both, or neither hand. The individual's forehead, cervical, thoracic and lumbar spinal areas were each fitted with five different inertial motion sensors.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!