An Unusual Cause of Cauda Equina Syndrome: Lumbar Epidural Venous Engorgement

BACKGROUND Epidural venous plexus (EVP) engorgement occurs due to many conditions, so it can be easily misdiagnosed. This becomes problematic when the diagnosis requires prompt treatment for a good outcome, especially when it results in cauda equina syndrome (CES). We report a case of extensive iliocaval thrombosis leading to epidural venous plexus and ascending lumbar vein engorgement as an outcome of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) due to probable adverse effects of oral combined contraceptive pills (OCCP). CASE REPORT A 42-year-old woman presented to a rural medical facility with bilateral lower-limb swelling and skin darkening for 2 days. She was transferred to a tertiary medical facility where her condition deteriorated to severe CES. A lower-limbs ultrasonography confirmed the presence of extensive DVT extending to the lower segment of the inferior vena cava. Spine magnetic resonance imaging showed abnormal enhancement of the conus medullaris with thick enhanced cauda equina nerve roots, consistent with a possible case of Guillain-Barré syndrome. However, there was engorgement of the EVP extending to the ascending lumbar, azygos, and hemiazygos veins, which was misdiagnosed. The patient was managed immediately with low-molecular-weight heparin and steroids. She died 4 weeks after admission due to hospital-acquired pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome, probably due to the high dose of steroids. CONCLUSIONS Acute CES has a wide differential diagnosis. This report describes an unusual cause of CES and emphasizes the importance of early recognition to avoid misdiagnosis and management delay. Early identification of this clinical entity markedly decreases morbidity and mortality and thus improves the prognosis. Likewise, underlying causing factors such as venous congestion due to OCCP-related DVT should be considered in the diagnosis.

Advances in Operative Thrombectomy for Lower Extremity Venous Thrombosis

Lower extremity deep venous thrombosis is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. The mainstay of therapy is medical. However, anticoagulation does not remove the thrombus and restore venous patency. In select patients, early thrombus removal and anticoagulation can restore venous patency, preserve venous valve function, and may reduce the incidence of postthrombotic syndrome. Catheter-directed therapies are minimally invasive with low complication rates. However, in patients with a contraindication to thrombolytic agents who can receive anticoagulation, open thrombectomy should be considered if indications for thrombus removal are met and patients are good operative risks.

Venous thromboembolic disease

Venous thromboembolic disease is extremely common. Conventional treatment with anticoagulation alone aims to impede the progression of thrombus, and prevent recurrence and the development of pulmonary embolism. This is appropriate for most patients. However, in certain patient populations, this alone does not address the long-term complications of venous thromboembolic disease. Surgeons should be familiar with the surgical techniques that have been demonstrated to improve outcomes with low risk. Recent studies of catheter-directed thrombolysis have demonstrated its safety, efficacy, and possibly the superiority over standard treatment alone.

Endovascular treatment of postpartum deep venous thrombosis: report of three cases

Pregnancy and the postpartum period are generally considered as contraindications for thrombolysis. We evaluate in this report the safety and effectiveness of using ultrasound-accelerated catheter-directed thrombolysis (UACDT) in treating three symptomatic postpartum deep vein thrombosis (DVT). UACDT was performed using a recombinant human tissue plasminogen activator (alteplase) which was delivered using the EKOS EkoSonic® system. Postprocedure venography was repeated after treatment which include stenting if stenosis was present. The treatment was successful in all three cases of iliofemoral DVT and symptom relief was achieved in all cases. Minor bleeding at the catheter insertion site in one patient was observed but none of the patients suffered from major bleeding or symptomatic pulmonary embolism. UACDT is a safe and effective treatment for restoration of the venous flow in patients with postpartum iliofemoral DVT. Residual venous obstruction should be treated by angioplasty and stent insertion to avoid early re-thrombosis.

Differences in short-term complications between spinal and general anesthesia for primary total knee arthroplasty

BACKGROUND

Spinal anesthesia has been associated with lower postoperative rates of deep-vein thrombosis, a shorter operative time, and less blood loss when compared with general anesthesia. The purpose of the present study was to identify differences in thirty-day perioperative morbidity and mortality between anesthesia choices among patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty.

METHODS

The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) database was searched to identify patients who underwent primary total knee arthroplasty between 2005 and 2010. Complications that occurred within thirty days after the procedure in patients who had been managed with either general or spinal anesthesia were identified. Patient characteristics, thirty-day complication rates, and mortality were compared. Multivariate logistic regression identified predictors of thirty-day morbidity, and stratified propensity scores were used to adjust for selection bias.

RESULTS

The database search identified 14,052 cases of primary total knee arthroplasty; 6030 (42.9%) were performed with the patient under spinal anesthesia and 8022 (57.1%) were performed with the patient under general anesthesia. The spinal anesthesia group had a lower unadjusted frequency of superficial wound infections (0.68% versus 0.92%; p = 0.0003), blood transfusions (5.02% versus 6.07%; p = 0.0086), and overall complications (10.72% versus 12.34%; p = 0.0032). The length of surgery (ninety-six versus 100 minutes; p < 0.0001) and the length of hospital stay (3.45 versus 3.77 days; p < 0.0001) were shorter in the spinal anesthesia group. After adjustment for potential confounders, the overall likelihood of complications was significantly higher in association with general anesthesia (odds ratio, 1.129; 95% confidence interval, 1.004 to 1.269). Patients with the highest number of preoperative comorbidities, as defined by propensity score-matched quintiles, demonstrated a significant difference between the groups with regard to the short-term complication rate (11.63% versus 15.28%; p = 0.0152). Age, female sex, black race, elevated creatinine, American Society of Anesthesiologists class, operative time, and anesthetic choice were all independent risk factors of short-term complication after total knee arthroplasty.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty who were managed with general anesthesia had a small but significant increase in the risk of complications as compared with patients who were managed with spinal anesthesia; the difference was greatest for patients with multiple comorbidities. Surgeons who perform knee arthroplasty may consider spinal anesthesia for patients with comorbidities.

Ultrasound-accelerated catheter-directed thrombolysis for the management of postpartum deep venous thrombosis

Pregnancy and the postpartum period are associated with an increased risk of venous thromboembolism, which remains an important cause of maternal morbidity and mortality. Although oral or systemic anticoagulation therapy may minimize thrombus propagation, it remains ineffective in removing thrombus burden and consequently does not prevent post-thrombotic syndrome. A novel technique, ultrasound accelerated catheter directed thrombolysis (UACDT), has been developed to rapidly and completely resolve thrombus. While pregnancy and the postpartum period are generally considered as contraindications for thrombolysis, we demonstrate in this case study the safety and effectiveness of using UACDT to treat symptomatic, postpartum, iliofemoral deep vein thrombosis after only an overnight infusion.

Management of the thrombosed filter-bearing inferior vena cava

Inferior vena cava (IVC) filter thrombosis is a complex problem. Thrombus within an IVC filter may range from an asymptomatic small thrombus to critical IVC occlusion that affects both lower extremities. The published experience of IVC thrombosis management in relation to filters is either anecdotal or limited to a small group of patients; however, endovascular treatment methods appear to be safe and effective in patients with IVC thrombosis. This review focuses on filter-related IVC thrombosis and its endovascular management.