Kou Ikuta

Treatment of Cervical Cord Compression, Caused by Hereditary Multiple Exostosis, With Laminoplasty : A Case Report

STUDY DESIGN Case report. OBJECTIVES Successful excision of the exostosis within the spinal canal. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA Myelopathy caused by exostosis within the spinal canal developed in a 13-year-old boy with hereditary multiple exostosis. METHODS Spinous process-splitting laminoplasty with an ultrasonic knife was performed to remove the mass and minimize the possibility of postlaminectomy kyphosis. RESULTS The spinal canal exostosis with cervical cord compression was excised successfully with laminoplasty. After surgery there has been no recurrence of tumor, and the stability of the cervical spine has been preserved. CONCLUSION This is the first report of laminoplasty as a useful surgical approach for intraspinal exostosis to prevent postoperative cervical instability.

Prevalence and clinical features of intraspinal facet cysts after decompression surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis: Clinical article

OBJECT Although many cases of primary intraspinal facet cysts in the lumbar spine have been reported, there have only been a few reports of postoperative intraspinal facet cysts in the lumbar spine. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence and clinical features of postoperative intraspinal facet cysts in the lumbar spine. METHODS Data from 81 patients undergoing microendoscopic posterior decompression to treat lumbar spinal stenosis were reviewed. The development of a postoperative intraspinal facet cyst was observed using MR imaging during 1 year after surgery. If the patient demonstrated a postoperative intraspinal facet cyst, additional MR imaging was performed to evaluate the natural course of the cyst. Furthermore, the authors conducted a comparative evaluation to identify the factors associated with the causes of cyst development. RESULTS A postoperative intraspinal facet cyst developed in 7 patients (8.6%) during 1 year after surgery. Spondylotic spinal stenosis, degenerative spondylolisthesis, and degenerative scoliosis were revealed before surgery in 2, 4, and 1 patient, respectively. In 5 patients, the cysts developed within 3 months after surgery. Although 3 patients exhibited symptoms caused by cyst development, all symptoms were relieved by conservative treatment. On radiographic evaluations, postoperative segmental spinal instability, including a progression of spondylolisthesis and disc degeneration, was revealed in 6 (86%) of the 7 patients. Spontaneous regression of the cysts was observed in 5 (71%) of these 7 patients. On comparative evaluation of patients with and without postoperative intraspinal facet cysts, the presence of segmental spinal instability before surgery (including degenerative spondylolisthesis) and the appearance of postoperative segmental spinal instability were related to the development of the cysts. CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of postoperative intraspinal facet cysts, including asymptomatic cysts, was 8.6% during 1 year after decompression surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis. The development of postoperative intraspinal facet cysts was related to the presence of segmental spinal instability before surgery (including degenerative spondylolisthesis) and postoperative segmental spinal instability, including a progression of spondylolisthesis and disc degeneration after surgery. A postoperative intraspinal facet cyst, which can be expected to regress spontaneously with a probability > 50%, should be recognized as one of the postoperative complications of decompression surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis.