Background: Deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus (STN-DBS) improves quality of life in patients with advanced Parkinson's disease (PD), but is associated with neuropsychiatric side effects and weight gain in some individuals. The pathomechanisms of these phenomena are still unknown. Considering anatomical and functional connections of the STN with the hypothalamic-pituitary (HP) system, we prospectively investigated whether chronic STN-DBS alters HP functioning in 11 PD patients. Methods: Basal hormone levels of the HP-adrenal (HPA), HP-gonadal and HP-somatotropic axis were determined before surgery as well as 3 and 6 months after electrode implantation. In addition, 24-hour cortisol profiles and dexamethasone suppression tests were obtained. Postoperative hormone changes were correlated with individual neuropsychological test performance, psychiatric status and anthropometric measures. Results: While PD patients experienced weight gain (p = 0.025) at follow-up, most neuropsychological data and basal HP hormone levels did not change over time. HPA regulation and diurnal rhythmicity of cortisol remained intact in all patients. The 24-hour mean cortisol levels decreased 6 months after surgery (p = 0.002) correlating with improved postoperative depression (p = 0.02). Conclusions: Chronic application of high-frequency electrical stimuli in the STN was not associated with HP dysfunction in patients with advanced PD. The diurnal variability of peripheral cortisol secretion as one important element of the endogenous biological clock remained intact. Evening cortisol levels decreased after surgery reflecting a favorable regulation of the cortisol setpoint. STN-DBS can be considered safe from a neuroendocrine perspective, but the origin of unwanted side effects warrants further elucidation.

Dislocation fractures of the tibial plateau often lead to functional restrictions and subjective complaints from the patients. Besides functional and radiological results, criteria to determine the quality of life are of increasing importance. Intermediate term restriction in quality of life was evaluated and correlated with objective radiological results in patients with Moore type V dislocation fracture of the tibial plateau. From 2003 to 2012, a multicentre retrospective cohort study in three hospitals was used to register 36 patients with 38 Moore type V dislocation fractures of the tibial plateau. The injury mechanism, the surgical treatment (one step or two step surgery, single or double plate fixation) the complication rate, the radiological result (Kellgren/Lawrence osteoarthritis score, loss of reduction, secondary deviation of the axis) after a mean follow-up of 37 months, and the quality of life (pain and function by NRS, IKDC form, EQ 5D score) after a mean follow-up of 68 months (range, 15-128 months), were analysed. The mean age of the 27 men and the 9 women was 50.8 years. There were 30 cases of high impact injury. An external fixator was used for primary fracture stabilisation in 24 knees; definitive internal fixation was performed in a second step. Internal fixation using a single plate was used in 12 knees, and double plate fixation in 25 knees; one patient was treated definitively with an external fixator. Early complications (3 × infection, 2 × compartment syndrome, 4 × implant failure) were seen in 21.1 % of patients; all could be cured surgically. The function of the affected knee joint gave a mean NRS of 4.53; the IKDC score was 50.46, and the EQ 5D 7.47. Only two patients (5 %) were free of pain, 27 (75 %) reported mild to moderate pain, and 7 patients (20 %) reported severe pain. Four patients are retired or have applied for a pension. Altogether, the quality of life was calculated as being 44 % of the initial value before the injury. Four patients required an endoprosthetic replacement at an early stage, after an average of 6 months. Signs of osteoarthritis (Kellgren/Lawrence> I) were seen in 32 of the remaining 33 fractures; 19 of these exhibited distinct signs of osteoarthritis (Kellgren/Lawrence III, IV). Loss of reduction (≥ 2 mm) was seen in 13 (34.2 %) and deviation of axis (> 10°) in 3 patients (7.8 %). There was no relation to the surgical strategy. However, there was a correlation between the subjective assessments of the quality of life and the radiological results. Moore type V dislocation fractures of the tibial plateau are severe knee injuries resulting in a distinct reduction in quality of life in the intermediate term. There is a correlation between the subjective assessments and the objective radiological results. Therefore, the congruency of the articular surface and the axis have to be reconstructed as precisely as possible when repairing fractures of the tibial plateau.

We describe the case of a 6-year-old girl with post-traumatic torticollis after falling on her head. The suspected fractures of the dens axis and/or atlas were ruled out after performing CT and MRI examinations as well as dynamic fluoroscopy. Radiological findings showed no further instability but there was a congenital non-fusion of the posterior arch and an age-appropriate non-fused anterior arch of the atlas. In addition to discoligamental injuries and fractures, congenital anomalies and normal variants of the immature anatomy of the cervical spine should also be considered in the diagnosis of the pediatric cervical spine after trauma.

Zusammenfassung Hintergrund Das Auftreten intravesikaler Condyolmata acuminata wird sporadisch in der Literatur beschrieben und gilt gemeinhin als benigne epitheliale Veränderung.In nur sehr wenigen Fällen wurden invasive Karzinome als Folge eines anhaltenden Condylombefalls der Harnblase beschrieben. Fall Wir präsentieren den Fall eines 68-jährigen Patienten, der nach mehrjähriger Anamnese großflächiger intravesikaler Condylome ein muskelinvasives plattenepithelial-differenziertes Urothelkarzinom der Harnblase entwickelte. Nach mehrfacher TUR intravesikaler Condylome, ausgebliebener Instillationstherapie sowie vergessener Nachsorge über Jahre wurde der Patient in unserer Klinik vorstellig. Nach Diagnosestellung einer Ichthyosis vesicae zeigte sich die Entwicklung eines plattenepithelial differenzierten, muskelinvasiven Urothelkarzinoms binnen nur 3 Monaten. Es erfolgte die radikale Zystektomie mit histologischer Beschreibung eines weiteren Tumorprogresses. Zusammenfassung Die karzinogene Potenz verschiedener HPV-Genomtypen ist bekannt und so sind v. a. Karzinome des weiblichen und männlichen Genitales mit einer HPV-Infektion assoziiert. Intravesikale Condylome sind selten, werden in aller Regel als benigne Läsionen eingestuft und entsprechend zurückhaltend behandelt. Unser Fall mit Entwicklung eines muskelinvasiven plattenepithelial differenzierten Karzinoms binnen weniger Monate zeigt jedoch die aggressive Potenz dieser Krankheit. Schlussfolgerung Die Diagnosestellung intravesikaler Condylome bedarf einer engmaschigen fachurologischen Nachsorge einschließlich nachfolgender bioptischer Befundkontrollen sowie einer stadienadaptierten, im Zweifel radikalen Therapie bei etwaiger Karzinomentstehung.