Percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic decompression combined with percutaneous vertebroplasty in treatment of lumbar vertebral body metastases:A case report

BACKGROUND Percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy(PTED)is a procedure that is commonly used to treat lumbar disc herniation and spinal stenosis.Despite its less invasiveness,this surgery is rarely used to treat spinal metastases.Percutaneous vertebroplasty(PVP)has been utilized to treat lumbar vertebral body metastases but it has not proven useful in treating sciatic patients.CASE SUMMARY A 68-year-old woman presented with low back pain and radicular symptoms.She couldn't straighten her legs because of severe pain.Computed tomography(CT)showed a mass lesion in the lung and bone destruction in the L4 vertebrae.The biopsy of the lung lesion revealed adenocarcinoma and the biopsy for L4 vertebrae revealed metastatic adenocarcinoma.PTED paired with PVP was performed on the patient due to the patient's poor overall physical state and short survival time.Transcatheter arterial embolization of vertebral tumors was performed before surgical resection to reduce excessive blood loss during the operation.The incision was scaled up with the TESSY technology.The pain was obviously relieved following the operation and no serious complications occurred.Postoperative CT showed that the decompression around the nerve root was successful,polymethyl methacrylate filling was satisfactory and the tumor tissue around the nerve root was obviously removed.During the 1-year follow-up period,the patient was in a stable condition.CONCLUSION PTED in combination with PVP is an effective and safe treatment for Lumbar single-level Spinal Column metastases with radicular symptoms.Because of the small sample size and short followup time,the long-term clinical efficacy of this method needs to be further confirmed.

Endoscopic foramen magnum decompression for Chiari malformation

Objective To investigate the methods and effectiveness to treat Chiari malformation with surgical decompression of foramen magnum under endoscope. Methods 23 cases with Chiari malformation. (withoutatlanto-axial dislocation and basilar invagination) diagnosed by magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) were operated with the surgical decompression for foramen magnum under the endoscope. Results 23

Improving quality measures in colonoscopy and its therapeutic intervention

Colonoscopy with polypectomy has been shown to reduce the risk of colon cancer. The critical element in the quality of colonoscopy in terms of polyp detection and removal continues to be the performance of the endoscopist, independent of patient-related factors. Improved results in terms of polyp detection and complete removal have implications regarding the development of screening and surveillance intervals and the reduction of interval cancers after negative colonoscopy. Advances in colonoscopy techniques such as high-definition colonoscopy, hood-assisted colonoscopy and dye-based chromoendoscopy have improved the detection of small and flat-type colorectal polyps. Virtual chromoendoscopy has not proven to improve polyp detection but may be useful to predict polyp pathology. The majority of polyps can be removed endoscopically. Available polypectomy techniques include cold forceps polypectomy, cold snare polypectomy, conventional polypectomy, endoscopic mucosal resection and endoscopic submucosal dissection. The preferred choice depends on the polyp size and characteristics. Other useful techniques include colonoscopic hemostasis for acute colonic diverticular bleeding, endoscopic decompression using colonoscopic stenting, and transanal tube placement for colorectal obstruction. Here we review the current knowledge concerning the improvement of quality measures in colonoscopy and colonoscopy-related therapeutic interventions.

Newly onset indirect traumatic optic neuropathy-surgical treatment first versus steroid treatment first

AIM: To investigate the efficacy and safety of the treatment of endoscopic trans-ethmosphenoid optic canal decompression(ETOCD) with combination of steroid in patients with newly onset indirect traumatic optic neuropathy(ITON) and compare the outcome between immediate ETOCD treatment and ETOCD with preoperative steroid treatment. METHODS: Patients presented as newly onset ITON(suffered trauma within 3 d) at a tertiary medical center between Mar 1 st, 2016 and Mar 1 st, 2018 were enrolled in this study. All patients were equally and randomly divided into 2 groups. Cases in group A were performed ETOCD immediately after admition while cases in group B were prescribed by methylprednisolone(20 mg/kg · d) for 3 d before ETOCD. Methylprednisolone(20 mg/kg · d) was used after surgery for 6 d in group A and 3 d in group B. Follow-up was up to 3 mo in all cases. Visual acuity(VA) before and after treatment between the two groups were taken into comparison. RESULTS: Complete postoperative data were acquired from 34 patients in group A and from 32 patients in group B. Group A had significantly higher effective rate in VA than group B(χ~2 =4.905, P=0.027).CONCLUSION: For patients with newly onset ITON, combination treatment of ETOCD with high-dose steroid is an effective and safe way. Immediate surgery will lead to better prognosis for these cases.

Modified endoscopic transnasal orbital apex decompression in dysthyroid optic neuropathy

Background:To describe the surgical technique and assess the clinical efficacy and safety of modified endoscopic transnasal orbital apex decompression in the treatment of dysthyroid optic neuropathy.Methods:In this retrospective research,forty-two subjects(74 orbits)who underwent modified endoscopic transnasal orbital apex decompression for the treatment of dysthyroid optic neuropathy were enrolled.Preoperative and postoperative best-corrected visual acuity(BCVA),visual field mean deviation(MD),Hertel exophthalmometry,and new onset diplopia were assessed before and after the intervention.The Wilcoxon test was used for differential analysis.Linear mixed-models’analyses were conducted to assess the potential predictors for BCVA change.Results:Postoperatively,the mean BCVA improved from 0.70±0.62 logMAR to 0.22±0.33 logMAR.BCVA significantly improved in 69 eyes(93%),remained stable in 4 eyes(5%)and deteriorated in 1 eye(1%).MD of visual fields improved from−13.73±9.22 dB to−7.23±7.04 dB.Proptosis decreased from 19.57±3.38mm to 16.35±3.01mm.Preoperative BCVA,MD of visual fields and medical rectus diameter were independent factors associated with improvements in BCVA(P<0.05)by linear mixed-models’analyses.Eighteen patients(42.9%)developed new diplopia postoperatively.Conclusion:Modified endoscopic transnasal orbital apex decompression effectively restores vision in dysthyroid optic neuropathy.