Background
Cerebrospinal fluid leakage can cause abducens nerve palsy (ANP) secondary to downward brain traction, caused by intracranial hypotension. We present the first case after cervical fixation and fusion with spinal cord decompression.
Case Description
We present a 65-year-old male, who undergone C5-C6 decompression by laminectomy and C3-T2 fixation and fusion, without intraoperative complications. Two months later, the patient referred a 2-week history of diplopia, with no other accompanying symptom. Clinical examination revealed a lack of lateral gaze of the left eye. Cervical MRI disclosed findings compatible with pseudomeningocele. Given the time of evolution, the subacute clinical findings and the absence of image or clinical data of infection or intracranial hypotension, we decided to perform conservative treatment. We submitted the patient to periodic clinical examinations and we confirmed progressive clinical improvement of diplopia, in association with neurologic and ophthalmologic specialists. At this time, six months after surgery, the patient is asymptomatic. The swelling has significantly decreased in size. Control MRI revealed no growth of the pseudomeningocele.
Conclusions
ANP secondary to intracranial hypotension after cervical spine surgery requires immediate imaging tests and clinical evaluation from neurology and ophthalmology specialists. Management can be conservative, as long as diplopia is the only clinical and radiological finding and wound does not show signs of infection.
Occult fractures of the hip are rare; they are almost absent from published medical literature and the studies that are reported concern fractures in the elderly population. In this paper the cases of two children, nine and 16 years old are presented who suffered occult fractures of the femoral head during high-energy traumatisms. Conventional X-ray did not reveal bone lesions, although it did show a discrete eccentration of the cephalic nucleus and the diagnosis was delayed until more specific image techniques were applied: bone scanning with Tc99, CT and MRI, revealed fracture from compression in Case 1 and osteochondral fracture in Case 2. The treatment consisted of non-weight-bearing of the joint in the first case and removal of the fragment by arthroscopy in the second. The outcome was good in both patients who had no pain in the hip and complete mobility one year later. (Hip International 2004; 14: 34-8).
Occult fractures of the hip are rare; they are almost absent from published medical literature and the studies that are reported concern fractures in the elderly population. In this paper the cases of two children, nine and 16 years old are presented who suffered occult fractures of the femoral head during high-energy traumatisms. Conventional X-ray did not reveal bone lesions, although it did show a discrete eccentration of the cephalic nucleus and the diagnosis was delayed until more specific image techniques were applied: bone scanning with Tc99, CT and MRI, revealed fracture from compression in Case 1 and osteochondral fracture in Case 2. The treatment consisted of non-weight-bearing of the joint in the first case and removal of the fragment by arthroscopy in the second. The outcome was good in both patients who had no pain in the hip and complete mobility one year later. (Hip International 2004; 14: 34-8).
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