Role of joint aspiration before re-implantation in patients with a cement spacer in place

BACKGROUND The usefulness of a mandatory joint aspiration before re-implantation in patients with a cement spacer already in place is unclear.AIM To evaluate the role of culturing synovial fluid obtained by joint aspiration before re-implantation in patients who underwent a two-stage septic revision.METHODS A retrospective observational study was conducted,including patients that underwent a two-stage septic revision(hip or knee)from 2010 to 2017.After the first stage revision and according to intraoperative culture results,all patients were treated with an antibiotic protocol for 6-8 wk.Following 2 wk without antibiotics,a culture of synovial fluid was obtained.The results of these cultures were recorded and compared with cultures obtained during re-implantation surgery.RESULTS Forty-one patients(20 hip and 21 knee spacers)were included in the final analysis.In 39 cases,the culture of synovial fluid was negative,while in the remaining 2 cases(knee spacers)no analysis was possible due to dry tap.In 5 of the patients,two or more intraoperative cultures taken during the re-implantation surgery were positive.CONCLUSION We found no evidence to support mandatory joint aspiration before re-implantation in patients with a cement spacer in place.

Postoperative infection of the skull base surgical site due to suppurative parotitis:A case report

BACKGROUND Paraganglioma occurring at the lateral skull base is a rare tumor.Surgery is the primary treatment of benign paragangliomas.Postoperative infection of the surgical site at the lateral skull base is very dangerous and hard to manage.CASE SUMMARY A 30-year-old man with a 1-year history of left-side progressive hearing loss,tinnitus,facial palsy,and choking failed conventional treatment and is the focus of this case report.Imaging revealed a mass around the left jugular foramen that was approximately 47 mm×38 mm×34 mm in size and had eroded the bone of the vertebral and horizontal segments of the internal carotid artery.The tumor breached the meninges and occupied the cerebella pontine region.A two-stage surgery was designed for the resection of the mass.In the first-stage,the epidural portion of the mass was removed.The abdominal fat and the temporal muscle flap were transposed within the surgical site.The surgery was successful;however,25 d after surgery,he developed suppurative parotitis,and the infection spread to the surgical site at the skull base.Broad-spectrum antibiotics were used,and debridement was deployed.After that,the wound was cleaned daily.Five months after the first-stage surgery,the wound was still unclosed,and there was intermittent purulent exudation within the surgical site.vacuum sealing drainage(VSD)was used,and the wound healed in a month.One year after the first surgery,the second-stage of the operation was performed to remove the intracranial portion of the tumor.Recurrence of the tumor was not detected after a 6-month follow-up.CONCLUSION After a lateral skull base surgery,suppurative parotitis can spread into the operative cavity leading to infection of the surgical site.VSD can help to effectively heal the infected wound.A two-stage surgical approach offers a safer option for removing the lateral skull base paraganglioma that involves the meninges.