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Query: UMLS:C0034065 (pulmonary embolism)
 14,979 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Two cases of spinal subarachnoid haematoma occurring after spinal anaesthesia are reported. In the first case, lumbar puncture was attempted three times in a 81-year-old man; spinal anaesthesia trial was than abandoned, and the patient given a general anaesthetic. He was given prophylactic calcium heparinate soon after surgery. On the fourth day, the patient became paraparetic. Radioculography revealed a blockage between T10 and L3. Laminectomy was performed to remove the haematoma, but the patient recovered motor activity only very partially. The second case was a 67-year-old man, in whom spinal anaesthesia was easily carried out. He was also given prophylactic calcium heparinate soon after surgery. On the fourth postoperative day, pulmonary embolism was suspected. Heparin treatment was then started. Twelve hours later, lumbar and bilateral buttock pain occurred, which later spread to the neck. On the eighth day, the patient had neck stiffness and two seizures. Emergency laminectomy was carried out, which revealed a subarachnoid haematoma spreading to a level higher than T6 and below L1, with no flow of cerebrospinal fluid, and a non pulsatile spinal cord. Surgery was stopped. The patient died on the following day. Both these cases are similar to those previously reported and point out the role played by anticoagulants. Because early diagnosis of spinal cord compression is difficult, the prognosis is poor, especially in case of paraplegia.
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PMID:[Subarachnoid hematoma and spinal anesthesia]. 227 24

The authors describe a dedicated therapeutic vertebroplasty technique that uses newly designed instruments, acrylic cement, and dual guidance with ultrasonography and computed tomography for pain control in patients with bone failure, and report their experience. Between 1990 and 2002, they performed 868 percutaneous cementoplasty procedures in patients with severe osteoporosis, vertebral tumors, and symptomatic hemangiomas. In patients with osteoporosis, satisfactory results were obtained in 78% of cases; in patients with vertebral tumors, satisfactory results were obtained in 83% of cases; and in patients with hemangiomas, satisfactory results were obtained in 73% of cases. In the global series of 868 cementoplasties, an epidural leak was observed in 15 cases, which caused neuralgia in only three patients without spinal cord compression. In two patients, an asymptomatic pulmonary embolism was detected. The needle of the new vertebroplasty set is designed with side wings for easier rotation and removal. The screw syringe increases the precision of injection. The risk of leak is substantially reduced. The system is safe, reduces the cement manipulation time, and allows excellent control of the injection. The authors performed 130 vertebroplasties with this system without major complications.
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PMID:Percutaneous vertebroplasty: indications, technique, and results. 1288 60

Vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty are relatively new techniques used to treat painful vertebral compression fractures (VCFs). Vertebroplasty is the injection of bone cement, generally polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), into a vertebral body (VB). Kyphoplasty is the placement of balloons (called "tamps") into the VB, followed by an inflation/deflation sequence to create a cavity prior to the cement injection. These procedures are most often performed in a percutaneous fashion on an outpatient (or short stay) basis. The mechanism of action is unknown, but it is postulated that stabilization of the fracture leads to analgesia. The procedures are indicated for painful VCFs due to osteoporosis or malignancy, and for painful hemangiomas. These procedures may be efficacious in treating painful vertebral metastasis and traumatic VCFs. Much evidence favors the use of these procedures for pain associated with the aforementioned disorders. The risks associated with the procedures are low but serious complications can occur. These risks include spinal cord compression, nerve root compression, venous embolism, and pulmonary embolism including cardiovascular collapse. The risk/benefit ratio appears to be favorable in carefully selected patients. The technical aspects of the procedures are presented in detail along with guidelines for patient selection. A comprehensive review of the evidence for the procedures and the reported complications is presented.
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PMID:Vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty: a comprehensive review. 1577 89

Vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty are relatively new techniques used to treat painful vertebral compression fractures (VCFs). Vertebroplasty is the injection of a vertebral body with bone cement, generally polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA). Kyphoplasty is the placement of balloons (called "tamps") into the vertebral body with an inflation/deflation sequence to create a cavity prior to the cement injection. These procedures are most often performed in a percutaneous fashion on an outpatient (or short stay) basis. The mechanism of action is unknown, but is postulated that stabilization of the fracture leads to analgesia. The procedure is indicated for painful vertebral compression fractures due to osteoporosis or malignancy, and painful hemangiomas. The procedure may have efficacy in painful vertebral metastasis and traumatic compression fractures. Much evidence favors the use of this procedure for pain associated with these disorders. The risks of the procedure are low but serious complications occur. The risks include spinal cord compression, nerve root compression, venous embolism, and pulmonary embolism including cardiovascular collapse. The risk/benefit ratio appears favorable in carefully selected patients. The technical aspects of the procedures in presented in detail along with patient selection. A comprehensive review of the evidence for the procedure and its reported complications is presented.
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PMID:Vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty. 1688 Aug 81

Percutaneous vertebroplasty (PV) is one of the alternative treatments for vertebral fractures. Reported significant complications include pain, radiculopathy, spinal cord compression, pulmonary embolism, infection and rib fractures. In this report, we highlight intradural cement leakage which is a rare complication of the procedure. A 49 year old man with a T12 compression fracture due to multiple myeloma was referred to the neurosurgery department from the orthopaedics and traumatology clinic after developing a right lower limb weakness following percutaneous vertebroplasty with polymethylmethacrylate. An urgent thoraco-lumbar magnetic resonance imaging was performed. The T1 and T2-weighted images demonstrated intradural extramedullary and epidural cement leakages which were hypointense on both sequences. Total laminectomy was performed at T12 and L1 and two epidural cement collections were excised on the right. Then, a dural incision from T12 to the body of L1 was done and cement material seen in front of the rootlets excised without any nerve injury. The patient was discharged after a week and referred to the haematology clinic for additional therapy of multiple myeloma. Although the cement leakage was extensive, the right leg weakness improved significantly and he began to walk with assistance 3 months later. Good quality image monitoring and clear visualisation of cement are essential requirements for PV using polymethylmethacrylate to prevent this complication from the treatment.
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PMID:Intradural cement leakage: a rare complication of percutaneous vertebroplasty. 1850 88

Acute life-threatening conditions in oncology patients may develop either because of underlying malignancy or as a complication from treatment. Oncologic emergencies can be categorized as metabolic, hematologic, and structural conditions. Metabolic and hematologic emergencies are mainly diagnosed on the basis of clinical and laboratory findings. Structural pathologic conditions that result in bleeding, mechanical compression, or obstruction to the hollow organs, such as the trachea and bowel loops, may first be suspected because of clinical findings, including decreasing hematocrit levels, difficulty in breathing, and abdominal pain; however, performance of imaging studies is critical for timely diagnosis and management. Life-threatening conditions of the central nervous system (such as cerebral herniation, carcinomatous meningitis, and spinal cord compression), thoracic emergent conditions (such as central airway obstruction, esophagorespiratory fistula, massive hemoptysis, pulmonary embolism, superior vena cava syndrome, and pericardial tamponade), and abdominopelvic emergencies (such as uncontrolled intraabdominal hemorrhage, bowel obstruction, intestinal perforation, bowel ischemia, intussusception, and urinary tract obstruction) can be definitively diagnosed on the basis of projectional or cross-sectional imaging findings in appropriate clinical scenarios. Select emergent conditions in cancer patients related to chemotherapy and radiation treatment, as well as iatrogenic emergencies secondary to either surgery or placement of central venous catheters, may also demonstrate characteristic findings at imaging studies. In addition, interventional procedures are of great help in the treatment of acute superior vena cava syndrome, massive hemoptysis, and uncontrolled intraabdominal hemorrhage. Radiologists should be aware of these select, "not to be missed" imaging findings of oncologic emergencies to make an accurate, timely diagnosis and provide appropriate patient care.
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PMID:Imaging of oncologic emergencies: what every radiologist should know. 2410 50

The bones are the most common location for metastases, which may cause severe pain and damage, including osteolytic destruction and fractures. Pathological fractures of the spine are extremely painful and cause significant disability and morbidity in patients. Traditional open surgery has numerous complications, and radiation therapy may take weeks to become effective. To avoid the trauma and complication of open surgery, percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) is a minimally invasive procedure that has played a great role in the treatment of spinal metastases over the past several years. To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the treatment of spinal metastasis using PKP, the present study evaluated 282 patients who had received PKP between April 2009 and June 2014. The efficacy of PKP was evaluated using the visual analog scale for pain (VAS), Karnofsky performance score (KPS) and quality of life (QOL) score (short form with 36 questions). The KPS and QOL were measured pre-operatively and 3 months post-operatively. In addition, radiographical data, including the degree of restoration of the kyphotic angle and the anterior vertebral height, and leakage of bone cement, were measured. The safety of the surgery was assessed by complications and side effects reported during or subsequent to surgery. The present study measured the parameters prior to the surgery and at 24 h, 3 months, 6 months and 1 year post-surgery, as well as at the last follow-up date. The range of the follow-up time was between 105 days and 15 months (mean, 401 days). The 282 patients underwent successful operations and the pain felt by the patients prior to the surgery was significantly alleviated. In addition, the analgesic intake of patients greatly decreased following PKP. KPS improved prior to and 3 months after the surgery. QOL also improved prior to and 3 months after the surgery. Radiographical data demonstrated that the kyphotic angle decreased following PKP, and the anterior vertebral height increased. Paravertebral leakage of bone cement occurred in 10 patients through a cortical defect, but without spinal cord compression or pulmonary embolism. Therefore, as a minimally invasive procedure, PKP may not only rapidly relieve the pain and disability experienced by patients, but it may also restore the kyphotic angle observed at the 1-year follow-up. Notably, PKP may safely improve the QOL of patients.
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PMID:Percutaneous kyphoplasty for the treatment of spinal metastases. 2699 79

Adrenocortical carcinomas (ACCs) are rare and often aggressive with more than 50% of the cases already in stage III-IV (ENSAT) at the time of diagnosis. Nearly 60% of ACCs present with hormone overproduction syndromes (Cushing's syndrome and/or virilization), while the rest present with abdominal mass or incidental finding. Aggressive surgical resection is the mainstay of treatment usually followed by adjuvant mitotane monotherapy. For the advanced stage, adjuvant radiotherapy and combined chemotherapy with mitotane therapy can be added for survival benefit. Here, we would like to report a case of stage III high-grade ACC without syndromes of hormone overproduction, initially presented with pulmonary embolism. It was rapidly progressive with metastases to lungs, peritoneum and bone despite aggressive surgery followed by adjuvant mitotane monotherapy. However, after palliative radiotherapy to thoraco-lumbar spine for spinal cord compression, and adding chemotherapy (six cycles of EDP: etoposide, doxorubicin, cisplatin) to mitotane, a significant partial remission was achieved. He has had 24 months of progression-free survival, and is currently on mitotane monotherapy with cortisol replacement. Discussion will support multimodality therapy for stage III high-grade ACC with surgery immediately followed by adjuvant radiotherapy and combined chemotherapy with mitotane therapy to prevent local recurrence and distant metastases.
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PMID:Pulmonary Embolism as an Initial Presentation of Adrenocortical Carcinoma. 2914 95

Lung cancer patients often experience potentially life-threatening medical urgencies and emergencies, which may be a direct or indirect result of the underlying malignancy. This pictorial review addresses the most common thoracic, neurological and musculoskeletal medical emergencies in lung cancer patients, including superior vena cava syndrome, pulmonary embolism, spontaneous pneumothorax, cardiac tamponade, massive haemoptysis, central airway obstruction, oesophagorespiratory fistula, malignant spinal cord compression, carcinomatous meningitis, cerebral herniation and pathological fracture. Emphasis is placed on imaging findings, the role of different imaging techniques and a brief discussion of epidemiology, pathophysiology and therapeutic options. Since early diagnosis is important for adequate patient management and prognosis, radiologists have a crucial role in recognising and communicating these urgencies and emergencies.
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PMID:Imaging of urgencies and emergencies in the lung cancer patient. 2964 46