Discal Cyst: a Rare Cause of Neurologic Compression in the Young Adult

Introduction: discal cysts are rare pathology. Its clinical presentation can be mistaken for disc herniation, with back pain, radiculopathy and neurological defi cit. It is more common in male patients in their fourth life decade. Because they are rare, there is no consensus about the treatment. A great variety of procedures, from medication for the pain to endoscopic or microdiscectomy excision, have been described. Objetive: Describe a case of discal cyst on the l4-l5 level with compression of l5 right nerve root treated successfully with a minimal invasive procedure. Study design: Case report. Methods: Review medical records, pertinent images, interview with the patient and surgical team, intraoperative and histopathological fi ndings. The surgical technique used was minimally invasive. Results: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated a cystic lesion imaging at the level of the L4-L5 disc. The cystic mass displaced the thecal sac dorsally compressed the L5 transversing root. The patient was submitted to a minimally invasive microendoscopic technique using a tubular retractor. He recovered completely after the procedure, presenting absence of leg pain and went back to his regular activities 3 weeks after the surgery. Histopathological examination of the cyst revealed thick fi brous connective tissue interspersed with areas of chronic infl ammation. Conclusion: Discal cysts are rare intraspinal lesions. They can trigger severe neurological symptoms, and should be differentiated from other forms of epidural cysts and tumors. There are many treatment options that can be chosen from but no consensus. We used a treatment that was less invasive than the ones described in the literature

Interaction of demographic factors with the results of the surgery for degenerative disease of the cervical spine: a retrospective evaluation

ABSTRACT Objective: Degenerative disease of the cervical spine is a frequent source of intermittent neck pain, where the predominant symptom is axial neck pain. The indications for surgical treatment are reserved for the cases where the conservative treatment has not relieved the symptoms or the patient presents progressive neurological impairment. The objective of this study was to evaluate the prognostic factors involved in patients submitted to surgical treatment of the cervical spine, Methods: The study analyzed data from patients submitted to cervical spine surgery between July 2011 and November 2015 (n= 58). The evaluated data included smoking habits, hypertension, diabetes, overweight, surgical technique, and number of levels of fusion. The primary outcome was defined as pain and the secondary outcomes were quality of life and disability., Results: A statistically significant difference was found between baseline and the 12-month post-operative results regarding pain in favor of non-hypertensive patients (p= 0.009) and discectomy plus instrumentation (, p= 0.004). There was also significant difference between the results of neck disability in favor of non-hypertensive patients (p= 0.028) and patients with body mass index lower than 25, kg/m2 (p= 0.005). There was no significant interaction between any analyzed data and the quality of life score results. Conclusions: Non-hypertensive patients, those with body mass index lower than 25 kg/m2, and those submitted to discectomy combined with arthrodesis of the cervical spine are the most benefited by cervical degenerative disease surgery

Estudo prospectivo de avaliação de dor e incapacidade de pacientes operados de estenose de canal lombar com seguimento mínimo de dois anos

OBJETIVO: realizar uma análise prospectiva de dor e incapacidade em pacientes operados de estenose de canal lombar após dois anos do procedimento através da escala VAS e Roland Morris. MÉTODOS: trinta e oito pacientes foram avaliados por meio dos questionários em um momento pré-operatório, pós-operatório um mês, seis meses, um ano e dois anos, tendo sido realizada descompressão e artrodese com instrumentação pedicular associada. RESULTADOS: foi observado melhora nas análises comparativas de dor e incapacidade no decorrer do seguimento em relação aos valores iniciais, porém uma tendência à estabilização do quadro com sua evolução. CONCLUSÃO: o tratamento cirúrgico da estenose do canal lombar, quando criteriosamente indicado, melhora a dor e a incapacidade após dois anos de seguimento