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Biomedical subjects

K S Mann

Publications and source records attributed to K S Mann.

17 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Unusual gastrointestinal complications in neurosurgery.

Nine neurosurgical patients with unusual gastrointestinal complications are presented. Their diagnostic clinical features, as well as pitfalls in their diagnosis are highlighted. A high index of clinical suspicion of these unusual complications is important as patients' decreased level of consciousness and concomitant steroid therapy often complicates the clinical presentation. Progressive abdominal distension and absent or sluggish bowel sounds were the most consistent clinical features in comatose patients with peritonitis, whereas, high fever and markedly elevated white cell counts were often absent.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Infection of a shunt by Mycobacterium fortuitum: case report.

Mycobacterium fortuitum is a rare cause of central nervous system infection; however, shunt infection caused by this organism has not been reported. We report a case of shunt infection subsequent to insertion of a ventriculoatrial shunt for obstructive hydrocephalus caused by a cerebellar hematoma. The shunt infection was controlled by removal of the shunt and a combination of systemic and intraventricular administration of amikacin, and oral administration of ofloxacin. The case is discussed and the pertinent literature reviewed.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1990

The risk of intracranial complications in pediatric head injury. Results of multivariate analysis.

Retrospective analysis of 12,072 pediatric head injury cases admitted to hospital revealed 159 patients with intracranial complications: 132 had intracranial hematoma and 27 had diffuse brain swelling. Multivariate analysis revealed two risk factors that could be recognized easily by primary-care physicians. They were found to be significant in predicting the development of intracranial complications. These risk factors were impairment of consciousness at the time of admission and clinical and/or radiological skull fracture. Analysis revealed that the combination of impaired consciousness and skull fracture carried the highest risk of complication (75%); however, the presence of impaired consciousness alone had an intermediate level of risk (19%). The presence of skull fracture alone carried a small overall risk (2%); however, this was highly dependent on age. The absence of all the risk factors considered carried a negligible risk of intracranial complications, provided proper skull X-rays were taken and correctly interpreted.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

An unusual complication of silastic dural substitute: case report.

A case is presented in which a patient developed an unusual complication after the use of Silastic dural substitute. In 1983, the patient underwent removal of a meningioma with the involved dura. Five years later, he developed around the graft material a very thick connective tissue capsule, which simulated a recurrent meningioma clinically and radiologically.

Brain Edema↗
PubMed1990

The significance of skull fracture in acute traumatic intracranial hematomas in adolescents: a prospective study.

A prospective study was conducted to validate the retrospective finding that adolescents (11 to 15 years old) with skull fractures were prone to develop acute traumatic intracranial hematoma (ICH). Over a 4-year period, 1178 consecutive adolescents attended the emergency room directly, of whom 760 were discharged well and 418 were admitted. All underwent skull x-ray studies. Immediate computerized tomography (CT) scans were performed in patients with Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores of less than 15, in those with radiological and/or clinical evidence of skull fracture, and whenever clinically indicated. Of the 418 admitted patients, only 26 had skull fractures; 13 of these developed ICH. Four patients without skull fracture developed diffuse brain swelling. The remaining 401 patients were discharged after observation periods of up to 48 hours. Of the 13 patients with ICH, 10 had admission GCS scores of 15; however, four deteriorated rapidly and required urgent operation, and four remained stable but were operated on due to their large ICH. Two required conservative treatment only and both made good recovery. Three patients were in coma (GCS score less than or equal to 8) on admission. One patient had an epidural hematoma and made good recovery after surgery. Two developed delayed ICH after operations for associated systemic injuries despite initial CT showing diffuse brain swelling only, and both died despite evacuation of the ICH. Multivariate analysis showed that skull fracture was the only independent significant risk factor in predicting ICH in adolescents (sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 97%). A routine skull x-ray study is therefore mandatory in all head-injured adolescents and, if a skull fracture is detected, immediate CT may be performed for early detection of ICH.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1989

Neurosurgical aspects of cerebral cryptococcosis.

Eleven patients with raised intracranial pressure caused by cerebral cryptococcosis developed complications requiring neurosurgical operations. Two patients were fully conscious on admission, and 9 had impaired consciousness, four of whom were comatose. Seven patients were found to have hydrocephalus only. Two patients had cerebral edema initially, and 2 had cystic lesions. One of the latter developed subdural effusion. All patients eventually developed progressive hydrocephalus requiring placement of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt. Four patients were initially treated by external ventricular drainage. When external ventricular drainage was used initially, there were no associated complications; however, there was a high incidence of complications (4 of 7 patients) when a ventriculoperitoneal shunt was placed as the initial treatment. Of the 11 patients, 10 (91%) survived; of these 9 (82%) made an excellent recovery and 7 (64%) returned to their original work. The patient who died had been receiving steroid therapy for hypopituitarism.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Factors influencing the development of gastrointestinal complications after neurosurgery: results of multivariate analysis.

A retrospective review of 526 patients who underwent neurosurgery for nontraumatic conditions over a 5-year period revealed 36 (6.8%) patients with endoscopically and or surgically documented postoperative gastrointestinal (GI) complications. Two patients had GI bleeding and perforation, and the remaining patients had bleeding only. Multivariate analysis indicated 5 factors that were of independent significance in predicting the development of postoperative GI complications. These factors included 1) inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone, 2) preoperative coma (Glasgow Coma Score less than 9), 3) the presence of postoperative complications, 4) age greater than or equal to 60 years, and 5) pyogenic infection of the central nervous system. Further analysis of the 36 patients with GI complications revealed that they could be divided into three groups with different clinical courses. In Group I (n = 10), all patients died as a result of their neurological conditions; GI complications were just preterminal events and did not require treatment. In Groups II (n = 11) and III (n = 15), GI complications were symptomatic and life-threatening events, respectively. Eleven patients from Group III died as a direct result of the GI complications. Separate multivariate analyses based on the patients in Groups II and III revealed that preoperative coma was the only significant factor that predicted the occurrence of life-threatening complications. Patients who are at high risk of developing postoperative GI complications can thus be identified, and intensive prophylaxis may be instituted.

Brain Diseases↗
PubMed1989

Failure of cimetidine prophylaxis in neurosurgery.

Three hundred and eight-one patients who underwent major neurosurgical procedures were given cimetidine prophylaxis against stress ulceration. Nine patients (2.4%) developed acute gastrointestinal complications; two patients had perforation and bleeding from gastroduodenal ulcers, and seven patients had bleeding alone. Six of these patients, all above the age of 70 years, died as a consequence of the complication. Univariate analysis showed that four variables--state of consciousness, syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone, nature of surgery, and age--were significant factors in predicting cimetidine failure. Multivariate analysis revealed that a patient's pre-operative state of consciousness and the presence of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone were of independent significance in predicting cimetidine failure. The risk was 52% and 0.07%, respectively, when both factors were either present or absent.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1989

The significance of thrombocytopenia in the development of postoperative intracranial hematoma.

A group of 35 patients undergoing intracranial surgery who exhibited perioperative thrombocytopenia (platelet count less than 150,000/microliters) was studied retrospectively. Of the 35 patients, 14 (40%) developed postoperative intracranial hematomas requiring reoperation and seven (20%) died within 2 weeks after the operation. Analysis revealed that a perioperative platelet count below 100,000/microliters in a patient who failed to respond to platelet transfusions was associated with a higher risk of postoperative hematoma formation. All six patients with this profile developed postoperative hematomas. If the platelet count rose promptly from below 100,000/microliters to a normal level after platelet transfusions, the incidence of hematoma formation decreased dramatically. None of the three patients with this response developed postoperative hematoma. In patients in whom an acute drop in platelet count from the normal range to between 100,000 and 124,000/microliters occurred in the immediate perioperative period, there was a significantly higher change of hematoma formation; this finding has not hitherto been described. Of the 14 patients with this clinical course, eight developed postoperative hematoma after craniotomy for tumors and vascular lesions. This latter observation was substantiated by the fact that thrombocytopenic patients with postoperative hematomas had a greater reduction in platelet count than thrombocytopenic patients with no postoperative hematomas (p = 0.0004).

Aged↗
PubMed1977

Intraspinal dermoids.

Eight cases of spinal dermoids are presented. Four were in the cauda equina region, 2 were intramedullary, one was in the subdural space in the thoracic region, one was intramedullary and extended into the conus and cauda equina. Two patients had an associated dermal sinus. Intracapsular evacuation of the contents was the treatment of choice.

Adult↗