Stab injury to the lumbar spine without neurological involvement in a child

Background

Stab wound injuries are extraordinary in the child, the thoracic and lumbar spine are the most observed. Patient could be asymptomatic and it could lead to a neurological deficit.

Case Description

We report a case of a 15-year-old boy victim of a stab wound injury with a knife. He was neurologically intact but the local examination showed blood and clear fluid. The patient underwent surgery and the knife was removed with the reparation of a dural tear.

Conclusion

Stab wound injuries in child are very rare, the management is clear if there is compression, bleeding or cerebrospinal fluid leakage, and the prognosis depends on the symptoms.

Subdural Empyema Complicating a Giant Fronto-Ethmoidal Osteoma

Osteomas of the paranasal sinuses rarely lead to intracranial manifestations. We present an unusual case of a giant frontal sinus osteoma leading to subdural empyema formation. Determine the origin and the optimal surgical approach of these unusual lesions by analyzing giant osteomas of the frontal and ethmoidal sinuses in the literature. We report a rare case of giant frontoethmoidal osteoma with intracranial extension in a 34-year-old man, revealed by seizures. Neuroradiological studies revealed frontoparietal subdural empyema associated to a large osteoma in the right frontal sinus. The patient underwent surgical evacuation of the empyema and resection of the osteoma in one stage operation of decompressive craniotomy. The patient recovered very well after surgery and postoperative antibiotic therapy. This case represents in the literature only the third-reported case of subdural empyema complicating frontoethmoidal osteoma. The surgical treatment options, including open surgery techniques and endoscopic approaches, as well as pathogenesis are discussed according to the relevant literature.

ATRT of lateral ventricle in a child: A Rare Tumor at a Very Rare Location

Atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumors (AT/RTs) of infancy are highly malignant central nervous system neoplasms that are most commonly seen during the first 2 years of life with limited therapeutic options. To date, only two cases have been described in the lateral ventricle. A 4-year-old boy presented with a 4-month history of increased intracranial pressure. Cerebral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a huge intraventricular tumor, occupying the entire temporal horn and the body of the left lateral ventricle. The boy was operated through a left temporal transventricular approach with gross total removal of the lesion. The histopathological diagnosis was an AT/RT. The infant underwent adjuvant chemotherapy and radiation therapy. The 1-year MRI of control showed a local recurrence of the tumor. Then after, Gamma Knife radiosurgery was performed because of the small volume and the deep location of the lesion. At the 3-month follow-up, the MRI showed a significant growth of the tumor volume, and the child was given additional adjuvant chemotherapy. Unfortunately, he died 9 months later. AT/RT of the lateral ventricle is a very rare tumor in children, associated with a poor prognosis in spite of multimodal treatment. Gamma knife surgery (GKS) was rarely reported as a treatment modality of AT/RT. The aim of this work is to discuss about the rarity of this tumor and the best treatment strategy to improve prognosis.

Posterior epidural migration of a lumbar disc herniation

Background:

Posterior epidural migration of a lumbar disc fragment (PEMLDF) refers to the dorsal migration of disc material around the thecal sac that can lead to radiculopathy and/or cause a cauda equina syndrome. It is rare and the diagnosis is often just established intraoperatively.

Case Description:

A 50-year-old male with a chronic history of low back pain and psychosis presented with PEMLDF originating at the L4–L5 level.

Conclusion:

Lumbar disc herniations rarely present as PEMLDF resulting in symptoms varying from radiculopathy to cauda equina syndrome. These should be included among the differential diagnostic considerations for dorsolateral epidural lesions.

Spinal Arteriovenous Fistulas of the Filum Terminale: Case Report and Literature Review

Spiinal arteriovenous fistulae (AVF) are an uncommon cause of myelopathy that require a high degree of suspicion to diagnose. Treatment strategies have not yet been established. Only a few cases of AVFs of the filum terminale (FT) have been reported. In this review, we describe clinical presentation, imaging, and treatment options for this rare type of spinal AV shunt. A 43-year-old male patient presented with progressive low back pain and paraparesis with gradually worsening bilateral foot paresthesias and sphincter dysfunction. He underwent magnetic resonance imaging, which revealed a hypersignal in the thoracolumbar cord and angiography diagnosed a microfistula of the FT. Surgery was preferred over endovascular treatment and we realized an L5 laminectomy to open the dura mater and found a hypertrophic FT. After identifying the fistula which was closely related to cauda equina, and dissecting the root from the fistula, a permanent clip was placed on the proximal part of the arterialized vein. Surgery was uneventful, and 6 months postoperatively, the patient has fully recovered. FT AVFs although rare should be considered as a differential diagnosis of progressive paraparesis, and successful surgery through clipping relies on the angioarchitecture of the shunt and the clinical manifestations of the patient.

Kyste epidermoïde du quatrieme ventricule : a propos d’un cas

Les kystes épidermoïdes sont des tumeurs bénignes rares développées à partir d’inclusions ectodermiques. Ils siègent habituellement au niveau de l’angle ponto-cérébelleux, la région para-sellaire et la fosse temporale. Leur siège au niveau du quatrième ventricule est inhabituel. Nous rapportons le cas d’une jeune patiente de 44 ans admise pour un syndrome d’hypertension intracrânienne associé à des troubles de la marche. Le diagnostic de kyste épidermoïde du V4 fut évoqué sur les données de l’IRM puis confirmé en per opératoire et en histologie. L’exérèse chirurgicale a été subtotale en raison d’une adhérence de la capsule à la partie supérieure du plancher du V4. Après un recul de 18 mois, la patiente ne manifeste aucun signe de ré-évolution tumorale.Mots clés : chirurgie, IRM de diffusion, kyste épidermoïde, quatrième ventricle