Suchergebnisse

Abstract
Background Causes of the nonaneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (na-SAH) are still debated. Many studies confirmed the possible involvement of the intracranial venous system, in particular variants of the basal vein of Rosenthal.
Study Object The aim of this study is to investigate the role of extracranial venous system, in particular the jugular drainage, in the na-SAH pathophysiology.
Materials and Methods This is a multicenter retrospective study including patients suffering from na-SAH who were radiologically screened to exclude vascular malformations. The course of the internal jugular veins was evaluated to reveal any stenosis (caliber reduction >80%). Particular attention was paid at the passage between the styloid process and the arch of C1 to detect possible compression. As a control group, we enrolled patients who underwent CT angiograms and/or cerebral DSAs in the past 2 years.
Results We included 194 patients. The na-SAH group consisted of 94 patients, whereas the control group consisted of 100 patients. Fifty patients of the control group underwent a CT angiography for an ischemic cerebrovascular disease or trauma and 50 patients for an SAH due to a ruptured aneurysm. A significant jugular stenosis was found in 49 (52.1%) patients in the na-SAH group and in 18 (18%) patients in the control group. At univariate and multivariate analysis, the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.0001).
Conclusions This is the first study investigating the correlation between jugular stenosis and the occurrence of na-SAH. The impaired venous outflow due to reduced venous caliber could result in an engorgement of the upstream intracranial veins with transient hypertensive phases facilitating ruptures. Further larger prospective studies are necessary to confirm these data.

Abstract
Background Anterior cervical diskectomy and fusion (ACDF) has been providing good surgical, clinical, and radiologic outcomes in patients suffering from cervical degenerative disk disease (DDD). However, the role of anterior plating is still debated, especially in three-level procedures. This study aimed to investigate long-term clinical and radiologic outcomes and complications after three-level contiguous ACDF without plating for cervical DDD.
Methods Two institutional databases were retrieved (January 2009–December 2014) for patients treated with three-level contiguous ACDF without plating. Minimum follow-up (FU) was 5 years. Demographical data, smoking status, implant types, Neck Disability Index (NDI), visual analog scale (VAS) for neck pain, complications, fusion rate, adjacent segment degeneration (ASD), cervical lordosis (CL), and residual segmental mobility were evaluated.
Results We enrolled 21 patients. Tantalum and carbon fiber cages were implanted, respectively, in 13 and 8 patients. The mean FU length was 5.76 ± 0.87 years. Mean NDI score was 78.29 ± 9.98% preoperatively and 8.29 ± 1.67% at last FU (p < 0.01), whereas mean VAS score decreased from 7.43 ± 1.14 preoperatively to 0.95 ± 0.95 at last FU (p < 0.01). Complications were one postoperative hematoma, one superficial wound infection, and five cases of postoperative dysphagia (recovered within 3 days). The fusion rate was 90% and ASD was reported in three (14%) cases. The mean CL was 6.33 ± 2.70 degrees preoperatively, 8.19 ± 1.97 degrees 3 months after surgery (p = 0.02), and 7.62 ± 1.96 degrees at latest FU. There was no residual mobility on every operated segment at last FU. The smoking status was an independent risk factor for nonfusion in this case series (p = 0.02).
Conclusions Three-level contiguous ACDF without plating seems to be an effective treatment for cervical DDD. Properly designed comparative clinical trials are needed to further investigate this topic.