The authors report a 42-year-old patient with excruciating pains felt in the interscapular and lumbar regions and both lower extremities without symptoms of root involvement. Myelography suggested presence of a tumour of the conus medullaris or epidural tumour in this area, at the Th12--L1 level. During the operation a central prolapse of the nucleus pulposus was found in the midline on the anterior wall of the vertebral canal below the longitudinal ligament. After operation all symptoms disappeared and the patient resumed work.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Diagnosis and treatment of injuries of the brachial plexus in our experience].

The subject of the paper is an analysis of the pathomechanism of injuries and results of multispecialist diagnostic investigations and surgical treatment in 74 cases of traumatic brachial plexus injuries observed in a period of 5 years. The observations of the authors suggest the following conclusions: Direct injury to the brachial plexus requires emergency or delayed emergency surgical intervention. In indirect and secondary traumatic injuries of the plexus the best results are obtained by possibly early reconstructive operation carried out after establishing indications to surgical treatment. The optimal time for full diagnosis of brachial plexus injury and its surgical treatment is between 3 and 6 months after trauma. The full diagnosis of brachial plexus injury should include: radiological examination of the cervical spine with radiograms in flexion and extension (if necessary) and contrast investigations (myelography) of the vertebral canal for determining canal patency and cerebrospinal fluid changes and dynamics. Electromyography is one of the principal elements of the diagnostic procedures used for the localization of plexus damage and for evaluation of the return of function after surgery. It would be indicated to organize in Poland special hospital departments or centres for systematic diagnostic investigations and surgical treatment of patients with brachial plexus injury.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Multiple post-traumatic neuromas of the cervical plexus with atypical symptoms].

The report presents a patient in whom a direct trauma to the neck caused development of multiple painful neuromas of the cervical roots C2 and C4 with peculiar and rarely observed symptoms. Reconstructive operation was carried out 10 years after the injury and disappearance of persistent neurologic manifestations was obtained.

Adult↗