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Spinal cord compression in metastatic prostate cancer.

INTRODUCTION: Spinal cord compression (SCC) in metastatic prostate cancer is not rare occurring in 1 to 12% of patients. We have analysed patients treated for this condition in our institution assessing outcome and prognostic factors. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective analysis of the notes of 24 patients hospitalised with SCC due to metastatic prostate cancer from 1987 to 2001. RESULTS: At presentation 3 patients were ambulant with mild neurological deficit, 12 patients were paraparetic and 9 patients were paraplegic. Diagnosis was established by emergency myelogram, CT-scan or MRI of the spine. 8 patients had received no hormone treatment prior to diagnosis of SCC. 19 patients presented dorsal or lumbar pain requiring opioid treatment on average 60 days before onset of neurological symptoms (range 10-840). All patients underwent steroid treatment; the 8 patients without prior hormone therapy were treated with bilateral orchidectomy, 1 out of these 8 patients had castration without other treatments; 12 patients underwent radiotherapy alone and 9 radiotherapy and laminectomy; 2 patients were in terminal conditions and receive only steroid treatment. Overall 15/24 patients were ambulant after treatment. 8 out of 9 patients treated by laminectomy and radiotherapy were ambulant after treatment versus 7 out of 12 patients treated by radiotherapy alone.17 patients died during follow-up with a median survival of 4 months (2 weeks to 49 months). 7 patients were alive at the last control with a mean follow-up of 10 months (range 4-40). CONCLUSION: Outlook in patients with spinal cord compression from metastatic prostate cancer is poor. Efforts must be concentrated on prevention of spinal cord compression. Patients with hormone resistant prostate cancer who develop persistent back pain should undergo imaging studies (bone scan, spine CT-scan or MNR) and prophylactic local radiotherapy to the spine if bony metastases are identified.

Adult↗

Spinal cord compression caused by a metastatic lesion from an aortic body tumour.

An aortic body tumour in a 7-year-old wire-haired fox terrier with hind limb ataxia is described. A metastatic lesion in the dorsal arch of the eighth thoracic vertebra caused compression of the spinal cord. Radiographic techniques are discussed that enabled the position and extent of the primary tumour and its metastasis to be defined and allowed a provisional diagnosis of chemodectoma.

Animals↗

[Contribution of percutaneous acrylic vertebroplasty for tumor-related spinal cord compression].

We report two cases of spinal cord compression due to vertebral hemangioma in the first patient and myeloma in the other. Vertebroplasty was performed in both patients, combined with surgery for the first and radiotherapy for the second. Postprocedural pain decreased within 24 hours. Indications for percutaneous vertebroplasty are limited to aggressive vertebral hemangiomas, malignant spinal tumors including metastasis, multiple myeloma and solitary bone plasmocytoma. Vertebroplasty consolidates the vertebral body and reduces the risk of hemorrhage. It allows provides a rapid analgesic effect, radicullomedullary decompression associated with neurosurgery, spinal stabilization and can restrict progression of vascular malformations or tumors. Incidents and complications appear to be rare.

Aged↗

Experimental spinal cord compression by epidural neoplasm.

We have developed an experimental model of spinal cord compression in rats. Tumor injected anterior to the T-12 vertebral body grows through the intervertebral foramina to compress the cord and produces paraplegia in 3 to 4 weeks. Evidence for vasogenic edema in spinal cord compressed by tumor includes increased water content, leakage of horseradish peroxidase into gray matter, and histologic evidence of edema. The vascular supply to the cord overlying the tumor appears to be compromised. Both spinal cord edema and clinical symptoms are lessened by treating symptomatic animals with dexamethasone.

Acute Disease↗

Rapid, Cost-Effective Diagnosis of Spinal Cord Compression Due to Cancer.

Spinal cord compression in patients with cancer is a devastating complication that can be prevented by effective early detection of epidural metastases. Older algorithms for the diagnosis of epidural metastases call for plain spine films and bone scans, followed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in appropriate patients. Data from the only prospective study of back pain in cancer patients demonstrate that immediate MRI of the symptomatic area provides a more rapid diagnosis, is less expensive, and obviates the need for a time-consuming series of studies. A "screening" total-spine MRI using a shortened but comprehensive protocol would lead to further reductions in cost.

Journal Article↗

Sensitivity and specificity of MRI in detecting malignant spinal cord compression and in distinguishing malignant from benign compression fractures of vertebrae.

The accuracy of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in the detection of metastatic compression of the spinal cord and the cauda equina (MCCE) in 75 patients with known primary malignancy outside the central nervous system is determined retrospectively by comparing the MR results with findings of myelography, surgery, clinical follow-up and autopsy. The sensitivity is 93%, the specificity 97% and the overall accuracy 95%. The signal intensity measured in the sagittal MR images of a collapsed vertebral body is divided by that of an average of three adjacent normal vertebrae to form a signal intensity ratio (SIR). The SIRs of 41 metastatic and 15 post-traumatic collapsed vertebrae are calculated. A ratio of 0.8 has the most differentiating power. All benign and one malignant compressed vertebrae have SIRs greater than 0.8.

Cauda Equina↗

Systematic review of the diagnosis and management of malignant extradural spinal cord compression: the Cancer Care Ontario Practice Guidelines Initiative's Neuro-Oncology Disease Site Group.

PURPOSE: This systematic review describes the diagnosis and management of adult patients with a suspected or confirmed diagnosis of extradural malignant spinal cord compression (MSCC). METHODS: MEDLINE, CANCERLIT, and the Cochrane Library databases were searched to January 2004 using the following terms: spinal cord compression, nerve compression syndromes, spinal cord neoplasms, clinical trial, meta-analysis, and systematic review. RESULTS: Symptoms for MSCC include sensory changes, autonomic dysfunction, and back pain; however, back pain was not predictive of MSCC. The sensitivity and specificity for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) range from 0.44 to 0.93 and 0.90 to 0.98, respectively, in the diagnosis of MSCC. The sensitivity and specificity for myelography range from 0.71 to 0.97 and 0.88 to 1.00, respectively. A randomized study detected higher ambulation rates in patients with MSCC who received high-dose dexamethasone before radiotherapy (RT) compared with patients who did not receive corticosteroids before RT (81% v 63% at 3 months, respectively; P = .046). There is no direct evidence that supports or refutes the type of surgery patients should have for the treatment of MSCC, whether surgical salvage should be attempted if patient is progressing on or shortly after RT, and whether patients with spinal instability should be treated with surgery. CONCLUSION: Patients with symptoms of MSCC should be managed to minimize treatment delay. MRI is the preferred imaging technique. Treatment for patients with MSCC should consider pretreatment ambulatory status, comorbidities, technical surgical factors, the presence of bony compression and spinal instability, potential surgical complications, potential RT reactions, and patient preferences.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗

[Pott's spinal cord compression in the child].

Spinal tuberculosis is the first etiology of spinal cord compression in our areas. We are studying the epidemiological, clinical and therapeutic aspects of Pott's disease. We have collected all children aged from 0 to 15 years admitted for Pott's disease in department of Neurology in CHU Fann SenegaIL from January 1st 1983 to December 31st 1997 spinal tuberculosis. The diagnosis was both clinical and paraclinical. 27 children aged to 2-15 years were hospitalized for Pott's disease. The sex-ratio was equal to 2 in favour of boys. 77.77% of patients were consulted more than a month after the outbreak of the paraplegia. The notion of tuberculous contagion was found in 25.92% of the cases. The main clinical signs were paralysis of the limbs, sensory symptoms and bladder sphincter dysfunction. In 96.29% anomaly of disc and vertebra were recorded, more often affecting two vertebrae. The myelography, performed in 13 patients objectivized an epidural stop in 92.30% of the cases. There was a favorable evolution in 92% of patients under antituberculous chemotherapy. Spinal tuberculosis is an affection cheating all ages and it remains the first etiology of spinal cord compression in our areas. Therefore there is a necessity of primary safety by fighting against tuberculosis what is still in our areas.

Adolescent↗

Osteochondroma of the thoracic spine: a dumbbell mass associated with spinal cord compression.

Neurological complications such as spinal cord compression has rarely been reported both in the solitary type of osteochondroma or in multiple osteochondromas. We report a a 65-year-old patient with a thoracic osteochondroma involving the neural arch of T6, and the corresponding rib, who was followed-up for 5 years. Approximately 3 years after partial surgical removal, the lesion manifested as a dumbbell mass passing through the neural foramen leading to cord compression, and a hemilaminectomy was performed with subtotal tumor excision. A clinical follow-up 2 years later revealed normal findings.

Aged↗

[Dorsal interapophyseal arthropathy and spinal cord compression in syringomyelia].

A dorsal spinal cord compression by exuberant arthropathy and osteophytes of the articular processes occurred in a 61 years old patient with syringomyelia. The clinical symptoms were related to postero lateral cord involvement and rapidly appeared after syringo-peritoneal shunting. C.T. scan precisely displayed the pathological process and the cord compression. Surgery enabled a definite amelioration of secondary sensory deficits. It was to our knowledge the first description of such an involvement of articular processes in syringomyelia.

Adult↗

Vertebral metastases and spinal cord compression.

Clinical interest in spinal compression and resultant paraplegia due to metastases has mounted in recent years. This has stimulated attention to the neuropathology of the condition. 14 cases of spinal cord compression due to vertebral metastases are compared with over 100 traumatic cases. In the traumatic lesions there is central haemorrhagic necrosis leading to cavitation and gliosis with nerve root regeneration in the late stages. In the metastatic cases, lesions are often peripheral, pie-shaped and are related to vascular factors. The neuropathology of cord necrosis due to metastatic spinal disease is therefore different from that caused by trauma. These observations have clinical importance in planning treatment.

Adult↗

Vertebral histiocytosis-X causing spinal cord compression.

An unusual case of spinal cord compression caused by histiocytosis-X of the vertebral body of T-7 was recently operated upon in our department; the case was diagnosed during the operation by means of the squash-smear cytologic technique. Characteristic cytologic features were the presence of sparse eosinophilic leukocytes containing mature, multilobed nucleai and sharp, rather coarse, cytoplasmic granules; abundant histiocytes with round to oval, sometimes indented nuclei and finely granular cytoplasm; and giant, multinucleated cells, as those seen in granulomatous lesions. These cytotypes were grouped to form a monotone, but highly characteristic pattern. We think the reported picture is diagnosic of the pathologic entity under discussion.

Adolescent↗

Treatment outcome and complications in patients treated for malignant epidural spinal cord compression (SCC).

Sixty-seven episodes of spinal cord compression (SCC) were retrospectively evaluated regarding presenting features and treatment outcome. They were divided into three motor function groups. Group 1 consisted of 35 ambulatory patients, group 2 of 29 non-ambulatory patients and group 3 of three paraplegic patients. Lower extremity weakness was usually a late presenting feature and was frequently rapidly progressive. We suggest that SCC is an emergency, as successful treatment is unlikely if motor function is poor. All of the group 1 patients completing treatment remained ambulatory, in contrast to group 2 patients, in which only 25% regained the ability to walk, and group 3 patients, none of whom regained the ability to walk. Initial surgery or initial radiotherapy appeared to be equally effective in restoring or maintaining the ability to walk. Survival of patients ambulatory at completion of treatment was superior to that of non-ambulatory patients (p less than 0.03). Analysis of steroid-related complications suggested that frequent, severe and sometimes fatal complications can result from prolonged use with these drugs.

Adolescent↗

Outcome after spinal reirradiation for malignant epidural spinal cord compression.

Radiotherapy is effective for most cases of spinal cord compression. Although recurrent spinal cord compression is a common problem, little is known about whether reirradiation preserves neurologic function and what risk of radiation myelopathy it carries. To investigate this question, we reviewed patients at the Mayo Clinic between 1975 and 1992 undergoing two or more courses of radiotherapy to the same segment of the spinal column with radiographically documented epidural disease at the time of reirradiation to determine outcome as measured by the ability to walk and by survival. Fifty-four patients met the study criteria. Radiation doses for the first course ranged from 2,250 to 5,400 cGy (median, 3,000 cGy), and total dose for all courses to the reirradiated spinal segment ranged from 3,650 to 8,089 cGy (median, 5,425 cGy). All patients were ambulatory following the first course of radiation, 40 (74%) were ambulatory at the onset of reirradiation, and 42 (78%) were ambulatory at the end of reirradiation. Thirty-seven patients (69%) remained ambulatory at their last follow-up 6 days to 80 months following reirradiation (median, 4.7 months). Five patients eventually became nonambulatory 6.5 to 35 months following reirradiation. Median survival for all patients following reirradiation was 4.2 months. We conclude that for cancer patients with progressive epidural disease following radiotherapy, reirradiation frequently preserves ambulation and carries minimal risk of radiation myelopathy during the patients' lifetime.

Adult↗

Evaluation of decision criteria for detection of spinal cord compression based on cervical myelography in horses: 38 cases (1981-2001).

REASONS FOR PERFORMING STUDY: Different criteria have been described based on height reduction of the total myelographic contrast column and components of it as tests for compression of the spinal cord due to cervical stenotic myelopathy (CSM). Fifty percent height reduction of the dorsal myelographic column (DMC), <2 mm empiric height of the DMC and a 40% reduction of the ratio of stenosis calculated based on the height reduction of the entire dural diameter (DD) have been described as decision criteria for considering the test result positive. The reasons for selecting these decision criteria or their accuracies have rarely been reported. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the accuracy of diagnostic criteria based on reduced height of the total myelographic column and components of it for diagnosing extradural spinal cord compression using different decision criteria, and make recommendations for consistent myelographic interpretation in horses suspected of having CSM. METHODS: Four measurements were obtained by 2 readers in a retrospective sample population of 38 horses in which both cervical myelography and histopathological examination of the cervical spinal cord were performed. The prevalence of CSM in the sample was 50%. At intervertebral sites, the minimum heights of the DD and DMC were measured. At intravertebral sites, the maximum heights of the entire DD and DMC were obtained. Percent height reductions of the DMC and DD were determined as the ratio of minimum intervertebral height to maximum intravertebral height within the next cranial vertebra. Histological examination was used as the gold standard for determining the actual site of spinal cord compression. Sensitivity and specificity for the diagnostic criteria were estimated at each site in neutral and flexed neck positions using several different decision criteria. CONCLUSIONS: At C6-C7, in neutral or flexed neck position and using 20% reduction of DD, the test was highly sensitive and specific for CSM. At other sites, reduced height of the myelographic column generally was not accurate for diagnosing extradural spinal cord compression. Using 20% reduction of DD in neutral position at the mid-cervical sites, the test had only low sensitivity and high specificity. Flexion of the neck appeared to increase detection of spinal cord compression in the mid-cervical region, but also substantially increased the frequency of false-positive diagnoses. POTENTIAL RELEVANCE: By using the reported sensitivity and specificity estimates, readers may decide on a decision criterion for diagnosis of extradural spinal cord compression due to CSM. However, in planning a surgical correction, it is difficult to define a decision criterion that combines acceptable sensitivity and specificity, especially at the mid-cervical sites.

Animals↗

Spinal cord compression by amyloid deposits.

STUDY DESIGN: Dorsal spinal cord compression caused by amyloid tissue deposits in the posterior vertebral arch and epidural space of the T6-T7 region in a 29-year-old woman is reported. RESULTS: Studies did not show any primary cause of amyloidosis. CONCLUSIONS: This case can be classified as primary localized tissue because other causes and amyloid deposits were not discovered. This patient was the youngest person reported to have dorsal spinal cord compression caused by amyloid tissue deposits, and the spinal cord compression was localized in the thoracic region, which occurred in six of the seven cases reported.

Adult↗

Pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism with spinal cord compression.

We describe a patient with pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism who had an osseous tubercle on the anterolateral margin of the foramen magnum causing compression of the spinal cord. This patient had no evidence for any endocrinopathies and had no other spinal canal anomalies. We suggest that the morphologic phenotype found in patients with pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism, also known as Albright's hereditary osteodystrophy, has an associated risk for spinal cord compression due to congenital vertebral anomalies. The poor recovery of neurologic function following spinal decompression mandates prompt recognition and therapy of this condition in patients with Albright's hereditary osteodystrophy.

Adolescent↗