Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to F D Cooney.
The role of percutaneous lumbar discectomy as an adjunct in the treatment of herniated lumbar discs has become increasingly recognized. This article discusses its history, indications, techniques, and results.
We report the case of a 61-year-old man in whom numbness developed on the right side of the penis, scrotum, and perineum after he jumped into a swimming pool. Magnetic resonance imaging and a computed tomographic scan disclosed a lesion at S1-S2 impinging on the right S2 nerve root. At surgery, ruptured disc material originating in an area normally occupied by the fixed fibrocartilaginous plate was identified and excised. Postoperatively, the numbness resolved. We discuss a possible cause of the rupturing of the sacral disc and recommended treatment by laminectomy and excision, as in other cases of ruptured disc at other levels of the spinal column.
The authors report a case of a gunshot wound to the left lower quadrant of the abdomen in a patient who initially was neurologically intact. The bullet had lodged at the T-11, T-12 level in the spinal canal. After an exploratory laparotomy, the patient developed severe low back pain radiating to his left lower extremity and an incomplete footdrop. Repeat x-ray films and a myelogram showed that the bullet had migrated to the L-4, L-5 level on the left. Bullet emboli and delayed sequelae of gunshot wounds to the spine are discussed.
This is the report of a case of vertebral sarcoidosis causing collapse of cervical vertebrae with resulting tetraplegia. The patient was successfully treated by decompression and subsequent anterior removal of the invaded three vertebral bodies, followed by an autologous bone graft.
A young black male with sarcoidosis developed quadriplegia after a fall. Roentgenograms of the spine revealed extensive lytic and scierotic changes with paravertebral bony bridges simulating ankylosing spondylitis. He recovered on corticosteroid therapy after laminectomy and cervical fusion. Review of the literature suggests that this case of vertebral sarcoidosis is the most severe yet reported and the first with paravertebral ossification.
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