Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

O Palombi

Publications and source records attributed to O Palombi.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Traumatic atlantoaxial rotatory dislocation with odontoid fracture: case report and review.

STUDY DESIGN: A case of traumatic rotatory dislocation associated with odontoid fracture is reported. OBJECTIVES: To report a rare case of traumatic rotatory dislocation associated with odontoid fracture, and to discuss the mechanism underlying spinal instability and management. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: This case is a cross between traumatic rotatory fixation and atlantoaxial rotatory dislocation. Classification of rotatory subluxation change after osteosynthesis of the odontoid process was undertaken. METHODS: A 24-year-old man sustained head and cervical injury after jumping. A Type 2 odontoid fracture without displacement was noted. RESULTS: Without further traumatic event, 1 month after injury, computed tomography scan showed posterior displacement of the odontoid fracture and Type 4 or B atlantoaxial rotatory luxation. After surgical fixation and reduction of the odontoid fracture, the rotatory subluxation classification changed and became Type 1 or A. Posterior C1-C2 arthrodesis was performed. The patient wore a Philadelphia cervical collar for 3 months and underwent physiotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: As the pivot of rotatory subluxation changed after odontoid process osteosynthesis, posterior C1-C2 arthrodesis was performed. The patient probably could have been treated in a single-stage procedure using posterior C1-C2 transarticular fixation with bicortical interspinous graft.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

[Atlanto-axial lateral mass osteoarthritis. Three case reports and review of the literature].

This report describes three cases of symptomatic unilateral C1-C2 mass osteoarthritis. The patients were all female aged 67, 62 and 59 years. One patient had a history of rheumatoid arthritis. Unilateral occipital pain was the main symptom. Neuroradiological work-up included open mouth anteroposterior radiograph, flexion/extension lateral radiograph of the cervical spine, CT scan with coronal and sagittal reconstruction and MRI. Findings allowed differential diagnosis with tumoral or infectious disease of upper cervical spine and ruled out C1-C2 instability. CT scan and MRI permitted precise operative planning by determining the course of vertebral artery in the C1 and C2 vertebrae. Two patients were treated by CT scan guided steroid injection. The third patient was treated by C1-C2 arthodesis after failure of conservative treatment.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

Management of craniocervical junction dislocation.

The discovery of a craniocervical junction malformation requires management in three steps: (1) The patterns must be recognized using tomographic measurements (Chamberlain's line, Wackenheim's line). Dynamic flexion-extension studies are necessary to assess stability or instability. Stable patterns range from platybasia to basilar invagination, with gradual deformation, and are frequently associated with Chiari malformation. Unstable patterns characterized by odontoid instability are the equivalent of an odontoid fracture. The origin is malformative (hypoplasia, aplasia of the dens, os odontoidum), but the last may be difficult to distinguish from an old odontoid fracture. They are found in many syndromes (Down, Morquio, etc.). Unstable atlantoaxial patterns with atlas assimilation are hardly reducible; they evolve toward progressive instability. (2) The neurological consequences must be defined from the clinical features of the spinal cord and the cranial nerves. Both static and dynamic MRI scans must be performed; in this way identification of the neural abnormalities (hydromyelia, Chiari, etc.) and of the osseous compression is possible. (3) The most appropriate operative procedure must be selected: stable platybasia with a nervous compression by Chiari is cured only by posterior decompression; odontoid instability is cured by reduction and posterior fixation, using hooks and autologous bone grafts on the posterior arches of C-1 and C-2. Sometimes a transarticular screw fixation of C1-2 is necessary if there is a defect on the C-1 posterior arch. Craniocervical dislocations with assimilation of the atlas require posterior occipito-vertebral bony fixation with grafts and external halo immobilization or internal fixation with hooks or screws, with anterior transoral decompression in a second step.

Arnold-Chiari Malformation↗
PubMed2000

[Arachnoid cysts of the middle fossa and associated subdural hematoma. Three case reports and review of the literature].

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: We report 3 cases of subdural hematoma associated with arachnoid cyst of the middle fossa, and discuss the treatment. METHODS: Three males aged 33, 63 and 68 were treated in our institution. Before this event the cyst was asymptomatic and unknown. Magnetic resonance imaging was the most contributive radiologic exam. Surgical procedure was limited to subdural hematoma evacuation. The internal wall of subdural hematoma was opened in all cases. RESULTS: The clinical outcome was good for all patients. The CT or MRI scan follow-up 3 months later revealed nearly total disappearance of subdural hematoma for 2 out of 3 cases. For one patient the volume of arachnoid cyst decreased. CONCLUSIONS: We propose subdural hematoma drainage without any specific treatment (shunt or fenestration) of the arachnoid cyst, for this category of patient.

Adult↗