PubMed Health⌕ Search

SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “Spinal Diseases”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1993

[Spinal diseases].

Spinal diseases belong to the most frequently occurring disease groups. Accordingly diagnostic spinal imaging is probably the most common imaging procedure after chest X-ray. Since more than 30 years plain X-ray films are unchanged the first standard procedures. Discrepancies in size and localization of pain and the X-ray results are very often, because pain is in many cases soft-tissue dependent, abnormalities on X-rays images mostly bonybased, however. Therefore in many cases additional examinations like "functional" and oblique views are necessary. Of great help are also CT and MRI. With both modalities soft tissues abnormalities are very well demonstrated. For a lot of questions both modalities are already the "gold standard" of imaging. However, bone scintigraphy is the method of choice in screening of bone metastasis and follow up of inflammatory and malignant abnormalities.

Diagnosis, Differential↗
PubMed1987

Use of magnetic resonance imaging in the evaluation of metastatic spinal disease.

Spinal metastases are present in up to 10% of all cancer patients at some time during the course of their disease. Pain is the most common presenting symptom, and neurological function is usually normal at this early stage. The clinical challenge is to detect and treat the spinal disease before the onset of neurological compromise. Myelography has been the standard test for identification of epidural metastases, but the invasive nature of myelography carries inherent risk and produces patient discomfort. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been useful in the evaluation of other spinal diseases, is noninvasive, and is tolerated well by patients. We evaluated and compared MRI (64 studies in 58 patients) to conventional studies (myelography, computed tomography, bone scanning, plain films) and determined its accuracy in diagnosis and efficacy in clinical decision making. MRI proved superior in detecting bone and epidural involvement by tumor and was valuable in clinical decision making. In addition, MRI provided better visualization of paravertebral soft tissue involvement by tumor. MRI is recommended as the initial study in patients with suspected metastatic spinal disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

[Acute ischemic spinal cord disease. Spinal cord infarction. A clinical study and MRI in 8 cases].

Acute spinal cord infarction (ASCI) occurs infrequently and may have diverse causes. The diagnosis of ASCI, and particularly of an anterior spinal artery syndrome (ASAS) can be confirmed nowadays by MRI, whereas in the past only necropsy confirmation was possible. Pathophysiology and long-term prognosis may be better known at present and treatments more consistent. We present the longitudinal study and clinical features of 8 patients suffering from ASCI. All of them were personally studied and had MRI examinations, often with sequential studies. three groups must be considered: one included 4 cases of ASAS at cervical level, the second 2 cases of ASAS at thoracic level and the third group with infarction of the conus medullaris (ICM), one of them developed during surgical repair of an infrarenal aortic aneurysm. Motor and sensory sequelae were assessed in each case together with possible etiological factors. In conclusion, recovery after ASAS tends to be dependent on the severity of the initial deficit. At cervical level, clinical and morphological findings argue in favour of an extrinsic selective compression of the C7 right radiculo-medullary artery as responsible for the ASA. At thoracic level, the artery preferentially occluded seems to be the sulco-commisural artery as a consequence of disc compression. Finally, an underlying peculiarity of the pattern of arterial supply is a probable predisposing factor for ICM. Generally, the long-term prognosis of ASCI is not necessarily bad.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

[Degenerative spinal disease in an outpatient clinic in Lomé (Togo)].

A survey was conducted to determine the frequency and semiological characteristics of degenerative spinal disease in patients attending a hospital rheumatology outpatient clinic in Lomé, Togo. Seven hundred and one of the 1,821 patients seen over a two-year period had degenerative spinal disease. Spinal disease included lower back pain (n = 385), lumbar and radicular pain suggestive of disk protrusion (n = 137), lumbar and radicular pain with claudication suggestive of stenosis of the spinal canal (n = 42), dorsal pain (n = 24), cervical pain (n = 68) and cervical and brachial pain (n = 45). Clinical patterns were similar to those seen in Western countries. However, lumbar and radicular pain with claudication suggestive of stenosis of the spinal canal occurred at a younger age and mainly affected females. These data are in contrast with previous studies suggesting that lumbar and radicular pain due to disk protrusion and stenosis of the spinal canal are uncommon in Black Africa.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Clinical features of adult-onset ankylosing spondylitis in Korean patients: patients with peripheral joint disease (PJD) have less severe spinal disease course than those without PJD.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the clinical features of Korean patients with adult-onset ankylosing spondylitis (AAS) and examined the differences between AAS patients with and without peripheral joint disease (PJD). METHODS: We studied 67 consecutive patients with primary AAS who visited the rheumatology clinic of a tertiary referral hospital. All patients experienced joint symptoms after the age of 15 and fulfilled the modified New York criteria for ankylosing spondylitis. Hips and shoulders were not considered as peripheral joints. RESULTS: The male-to-female ratio was 8.6:1.0. Mean age at disease onset was 22.3 +/- 5.5 (mean +/- s.d.) yr and disease duration was 10.8 +/- 8.0 yr. Spinal symptoms were the first manifestations in 80.6% of patients. During the disease course, hip, shoulder and peripheral joint involvement were found in about 60% of patients. In patients with PJD, the most commonly affected joints were the knees and ankles. The pattern of PJD, in most cases, was asymmetrical and mono/oligoarticular. AAS patients with PJD had fewer spinal symptoms than those without PJD as a presenting feature (71.8 vs 92.9%, P = 0.035). The modified Schober test showed greater increments in patients with PJD (4.9 +/- 2.4 vs 3.0 +/- 2.4 cm, P = 0.002). Forced vital capacity was better in patients with PJD (79.0 +/- 11.4 vs 70.8 +/- 15.5% of predicted value, P = 0.016). Totally ankylosed sacroiliitis, spinal squaring and syndesmophytes on radiographs were less common in the patients with PJD than in those without PJD (33.3 vs 64.2%, P = 0.012; 20.5 vs 67.9%, P = 0.000; and 38.5 vs 71.4%, P = 0.008, respectively). CONCLUSION: Peripheral joints as well as shoulder and hip joints were more frequently involved during the disease course in Korean AAS patients compared with earlier reports in Caucasians. The general joint involvement pattern of PJD was similar to patterns reported previously. Our data suggest that, clinically and radiographically, AAS patients with PJD have a less severe spinal disease course than those without PJD.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

The intervertebral disk: a landmark for spinal diseases in children.

The aim of this paper is to describe the diagnostic value of the different radiological modifications of the intervertebral disk in children. Usual disk modifications include: disk-space narrowing; disk space enlargement; intervertebral disk calcifications; intervertebral disc prolapse; and signal modification in MRI. The gamuts (which are provided in the paper) of these different images must take into account the association with bone changes and the possibility of several disks' involvement. Calcifications are usually related to benign disorders.

Child↗
PubMed2001

Imaging of fungal, viral, and parasitic musculoskeletal and spinal diseases.

There are many nonbacterial infections that have musculoskeletal manifestations and radiologic findings. These infections produce a limited range of tissue responses, depending on the organism, the tissue compartment affected, and the immune competence of the host. Diagnosis is dependent on obtaining an appropriate travel or geographic history, the clinical and laboratory features, and on occasion the specific radiologic findings.

Humans↗
PubMed1990

[Epidemiological aspects of spinal diseases in the GDR in 1979 to 1988].

The socio-economic impact of disorders of the spine and the back has obtained an increasing importance in all industrial countries. Considering indicators of public health and national economy, namely temporary sickness incapacity for work, invalidity (insured persons in the GDR), utilization of hospital services (total population of the GDR), of rheumatological dispensaries as well as of the general practitioner, frequencies have been studied and trends pursued by means of serial analyses in a 10-year period. Diseases of the spine and the back within diagnostic class XIII/ICD, 9th revision, 1975 (diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue) have caused--nearly 2/3 of all cases of sickness incapacity for work--1/3 of the incidence of disability pensions--about 1/3 of the utilization of hospital services--about 1/5 of the utilization of rheumatological dispensaries--more than 50% of all cases consulting the general practitioner. As to the indicators sickness incapacity for work, incidence of disability pensions and discharges from the hospital, the serial analyses of the period from 1979 to 1988 have shown that the diseases of the spine and the back have the highest increase within the group of class XIII.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Aortic pathology revealed by MRI in patients with clinical suspicion of spinal disease.

In five patients with clinical suspicion of spinal disease, MRI of the spine revealed unexpected aortic pathology explaining the symptoms. No significant intraspinal pathology was found on MRI. However, in one patient with clinical suspicion of spinal stenosis, an aortic occlusion was detected on MR images of the spine. The lower extremity ischaemia, caused by the occlusion, was responsible for the symptoms. In another patient a paravertebral haematoma from a ruptured aortic aneurysm resulted in spinal nerve compression, thought before MRI to be caused by a spinal tumour. In three patients aortic aneurysm or dissection resulted in spinal cord ischaemia with symptoms mimicking those of compressive spinal disease. Thus, if MRI of the spine does not provide an explanation for the patient's symptoms, examination of the aorta is recommended.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

Suicide during hospitalization in patients with spinal disease.

STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective study. OBJECTIVE: To examine the frequency and current status of the incidence of deaths by suicide of patients with spinal diseases during hospitalization. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: It was reported that most cases of deaths by suicide during hospitalization were patients admitted to the psychiatric ward. There were no reports to the incidence of death by suicide during hospitalization in patients with spinal diseases. METHODS: Of 69,861 patients admitted to the Department of Orthopedics of 28 affiliated hospitals of our university between September 1997 and August 2002, 14,987 patients with spinal diseases were targeted for this study. We examined the number of deaths by suicide during hospitalization. RESULTS: Of the 14,987 patients with spinal diseases, there were 5 deaths (0.03%) by suicide during hospitalization. There were no deaths by suicide in 54,874 patients with orthopedic diseases other than spinal diseases. CONCLUSION: In the treatment of patients with spinal diseases, it seemed important for spinal surgeons to provide comprehensive treatment for the whole patient by paying attention to the relationship between a patient and a physician, in particular, by carefully observing the psychologic status of a patient.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Concentration of nitric oxide (NO) in spinal fluid of chronic spinal disease.

We studied total nitric oxide (nitrite + nitrate) (NO) levels in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of chronic spinal diseases in nonsmokers (133 patients: 76 men and 57 women; mean age, 63 years; range, 15-92 years) by the Griess method to clarify the role of NO in different spinal diseases. The extent of compression in terms of numbers of disc level at the compressed spinal nerve and neurological evaluation were also assessed according to the Japanese Orthopaedic Association scores. The spinal diseases included cervical myelopathy and radiculopathy (cervical disease group), ossification of yellow ligament (thoracic disease group), and lumbar disc herniation, lumbar canal stenosis and lumbar spondylolisthesis (lumbar disease group). NO levels in the spinal disease groups (4.98+/-2.28 micromol/l: mean +/- SD) were significantly higher than that in the control group (2.53+/-0.94 micromol/l). An inverse correlation was detected between the elevated levels of NO and the grade of clinical symptoms in the cervical disorders. The number of disc level at the compressed spinal nerve was positively correlated with elevated NO levels in CSF in the cervical and lumbar disorder groups. These results indicate that nerve compression may elevate NO levels in CSF, and that NO concentration in the CSF might be a useful marker of damage to nervous system in spinal disorders.

Adolescent↗