Chun-Chung Lui

Osteoporotic fractures are associated with mortality in postmenopausal woman. Whether raloxifen treatment after vertebroplasty can reduce mortality is unclear in this group. To compare the effect of raloxifene and no osteoporosis treatment on the risk of mortality after vertebroplasty, we designed this study. This was a retrospective study (January 2001 to December 2007). Follow-up for each participant was calculated as the time from inclusion in the study to the time of death, or to December 31st, 2013, whichever occurred first. All of the patients underwent baseline bone density studies, and age and body mass index (kg/m2) were recorded. All associated medical diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and liver and renal disease were recorded. One hundred and forty-nine patients with vertebral fractures were enrolled, of whom 51 used raloxifene and 98 patients did not receive any anti-osteoporotic therapy. At the end of the follow-up period, 62 patients had died and 87 were still alive. The treated patients had a lower mortality rate than those who did not receive treatment (P = 0.001, HR = 3.845, 95 % CI 1.884-7.845). The most common cause of mortality was sepsis, and those who received raloxifene had a lower rate of sepsis compared to those who did not receive treatment (P < 0.001). Effective treatment with raloxifene may had a lower mortality rate in patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis-related vertebral fractures after vertebroplasty.

Spinal dural arterio-venous fistula (SDAVF) is an uncommon and easily misdiagnosed vascular malformation. We aimed to report the diagnosis and management of a case with SDAVF. A 62-year-old man suffered from acute paraparesis about 15 months before this study. He underwent a neurosurgical procedure for herniated discs of the cervical spine at that time but there was no relief and the symptoms worsened despite the surgery. Neurologically, he had spastic paraparesis and decreased vibration sensation of the lower limbs. Spinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed intra-medullary hyper-intensity lesion at T8 to T10 levels and tubular-like signal void structures in the corresponding posterior sub-arachnoid space. Further trans-arterial angiography through right T6 intercostal artery catheterization revealed engorged veins, thereby confirming the diagnosis of SDAVF. The patient was treated via endovascular embolization (18% Onyx, EV3TM MIT, Bonn, Germany) through spinal angiography and the results showed a marked decrease in engorged veins. After a 4-month follow-up, the patient was symptomatic but stable. Follow-up MRI showed a complete disappearance of the hyper-intensity change of the spinal cord. Spinal MR angiography did not reveal any recurrence of SDAVF. This case study demonstrated the easily misdiagnosed state of SDAVF. Serial neuroimage studies including spinal MRI, endovascular embolization through spinal angiography and MR angiography can be useful tools for its diagnostic confirmation, management and follow-up study.

Background: Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is a common form of focal epilepsy. Serum biomarkers to predict cognitive performance in TLE patients without psychiatric comorbidities and the link with gray matter (GM) atrophy have not been fully explored. Methods: Thirty-four patients with TLE and 34 sex - and age-matched controls were enrolled for standardized cognitive tests, neuroimaging studies as well as measurements of serum levels of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), S100ß protein (S100ßP), neuronal specific enolase (NSE), plasma nuclear and mitochondrial DNA levels. Results: Compared with the controls, the patients with TLE had poorer cognitive performances and higher HSP70 and S100ßP levels (p < 0.01). The patients with higher frequencies of seizures had higher levels of HSP70, NSE and S100ßP (p < 0.01). Serum HSP70 level correlated positively with duration of epilepsy (σ = 0.413, p < 0.01), and inversely with memory scores in the late registration (σ = −0.276, p = 0.01) and early recall score (σ = −0.304, p = 0.007). Compared with the controls, gray matter atrophy in the hippocampal and parahippocampal areas, putamen, thalamus and supplementary motor areas were found in the patient group. The HSP70 levels showed an inverse correlation with hippocampal volume (R square = 0.22, p = 0.007) after controlling for the effect of age. Conclusions: Our results suggest that serum biomarkers were predictive of higher frequencies of seizures in the TLE group. HSP70 may be considered to be a stress biomarker in patients with TLE in that it correlated inversely with memory scores and hippocampal volume. In addition, the symmetric extratemporal atrophic patterns may be related to damage of neuronal networks and epileptogenesis in TLE.

The cognitive sequelae and influence of depression in patients with cryptococcal meningitis (CM) after complete anti-fungal treatment has not been completely surveyed in literature. Seventeen HIV-negative CM patients and 26 health y controls were enrolled in this prospective study. Neuro-psychological evaluation was performed to assess the attention, execution, speech and language, semantic and visuo-construction function, and depression. These were correlated with longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) through the following checklists: dilated Virchow-Robin spaces, pseudo-cysts, intra-cerebral nodule or mass, meningeal enhancement, hydrocephalus, and hyper-intensity of white matter. For cognitive outcome measurement, initial clinical and biochemical markers were collected and analyzed. The mean follow-up duration in CM patients was 69.6 months. They had impairments in attention, execution, speech and language, and visuo-construction function, while six (35%) patients fulfilled the depression criteria. Initial cryptococcal antigen titer was inversely correlated with block design score (ρ=-0.54, p<0.05), after adjustment for depression. Patients with two or more CM-related lesions (mean, 19.2; SD, 12.6) (p=0.04). CM with depression is highly associated with poor cognitive performance and higher likelihood of two or more lesions in MRI (likelihood ratio=6.012, p=0.014). Cognitive deficits persist in CM patients even after complete treatment. The number of lesions plays an important role in cognitive performance and depression. Extensive involvement of the cognitive domains with wide radiographic presentations suggests a disseminated nature of cryptococcus.

Silent brain infarctions (SBI) commonly go unnoticed due to the subtlety of their neurological signs. However, there is the risk of subsequent symptomatic stroke and dementia. A better understanding of the risk factors of SBI may help accurately predict those who will require treatment. This one-year retrospective study enrolled 199 adult healthy Taiwanese. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the relationships between baseline clinical factors and the presence of SBI during the study period. Fifteen (7.5%) healthy subjects had SBI, including 4.9% (5/103) males and 10.4% (10/96) females. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that both mean age and hypertension were independently associated with SBI, such that any increase of one year in mean age increased the SBI rate by 7.3%. In the present study, there is a close relationship between elderly patients and SBI and any increase of one year in mean age increases the SBI rate by 7.3%. Aside from age, hypertension is by far the strongest modifiable risk factor identified to date. Prospective, longitudinal observational studies are warranted to evaluate the relationship between control of hypertension and SBI in this specific population to determine how to prevent subsequent symptomatic stroke.

Study Design. A prospective trial of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) in patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (VCF). Objective. To investigate the relationship between intraosseous clefts and bone marrow perfusion using DCE-MRI in patients with osteoporotic VCF before vertebroplasty. Summary of Background Data. The nonhealing cleft may be responsible for persistent pain and progressive vertebral collapse after acute injury. If localized kyphosis increased, there is risk of neuropathy appearing as a complication. Even after receiving vertebroplasty, it was reported to be at increased risk for subsequent cemented vertebral refracture and new adjacent vertebral fractures. DCE -MRI has been used for the evaluation of bone marrow perfusion. However, there are few reports on the evaluation of osteoporotic VCF and intraosseous cleft formation. Materials. Forty subjects referred for evaluation of VCF underwent DCE-MRI. Bone marrow perfusion, as measured using the DCE-MRI time-intensity curve from a noninjured vertebrae was developed using two distinct parameters including peak enhancement ratio and enhancement slope. The ratio of the well-enhanced and the poorly enhanced zone of each injured vertebra were calculated. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the relationships between baseline clinical factors, parameters of DCE-MRI and presence or absence of intraosseous clefts. Results. Twenty-nine injured vertebrae (72%) had intraosseous clefts. Lower PER of the noninjured vertebrae was associated with higher poorly enhanced zone ratio of the injured vertebrae (γ = −0.362, P = 0.017). Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified only lower PER (hazard ratio, 0.000; 95% confidence interval, 0.000–0.096; P = 0.009) was associated with the presence of intraosseous clefts. A peak enhancement ratio value less than 0.57 had a sensitivity of 80% and specificity of 90% for predicting intraosseous clefts. Conclusion. In patients with osteoporotic VCF before vertebroplasty, decreased bone marrow perfusion, as measured by DCE-MRI, was associated with intraosseous cleft formation.

Nontuberculous bacterial spinal epidural abscess (SEA) is a serious infectious disease of spines. Despite proper management, SEA remains a disease of high morbidity. The epidemiological data in southern Taiwan is still lacking. We analyzed the clinical features, laboratory data, magnetic resonance imaging findings, and therapeutic results of 45 bacterial SEA patients, collected during a study period of six years (2003- 2008). The 45 adult SEA patients, 32 were men and 13 women, aged 17-81 years (mean = 62 years). Thoracic and lumbosacral spines were the most commonly affected segments. Staphylococcus aureus was the most commonly implicated pathogen, accounting for infections in 67% (29/43) of the culture-proven cases, and 41% (12/29) of the S. aureus strains were oxacillin resistant. Gram-negative pathogens were implicated in 30% (13/43) of the culture-proven cases. Of the 45 patients, 19 underwent antibiotic treatment alone and 26 underwent medical and surgical treatments. The therapeutic results showed that 28 patients had a good prognosis and 17 had a poor prognosis. The significant prognostic factors included higher age, presence of diabetes mellitus and chronic heart disease, and initial presentation of altered consciousness. S. aureus was the most commonly implicated pathogen of adult SEA, and most S. aureus strains were oxacillin resistant. A relatively high incidence of Gram-negative infection was observed in this study. The epidemiological characteristics of the implicated pathogens must receive special consideration when selecting the empirical antibiotics. Despite adequate management, many adults with bacterial SEA had a high incidence of poor prognosis.

Background: Acute/subacute cerebral infarction (ASCI) in HIV-negative cryptococcal meningoencephalitis (CM) adults has rarely been examined by a series of MRI-based follow-up study. We studied a series of MRI follow-up study of CM adults and compared the clinical characters of those with ASCI and those without ASCI. Methods: The clinical characteristics and a series of brain MRI findings of seven CM adults with ASCI were enrolled for analysis. The clinical characteristics of another 30 HIV-negative CM adults who did not have ASCI were also included for a comparative analysis. Results: The seven HIV-negative CM adults with ASCI were four men and three women, aged 46-78 years. Lacunar infarction was the type of ASCI, and 86% (6/7) of the ACSI were multiple infarctions distributed in both the anterior and posterior cerebrovascular territories. The seven CM patients with ASCI were significantly older and had a higher rate of DM and previous stroke than the other 30 CM adults without ASCI. They also had a higher incidence of consciousness disturbance at presentation and had a poor prognosis. Conclusion: ASCI was found in 18.9% (7/37) of HIV-negative CM adults. Serial MRI follow-up studies may allow a better delineation of ASCI in this specific group of infectious disease and multiple lacunar infarctions was the most common type. Older in age and presence of DM and previous stroke were the significant underlying conditions. CM patients with ASCI also had a poor therapeutic outcome.

Refracture of cemented vertebrae is often seen after percutaneous vertebroplasty. The purpose of this prospective study was to evaluate pre-procedural magnetic resonance images (MRI) for the prediction of further collapse and vertebral height loss after vertebroplasty. This study included 81 consecutive patients (73 women and 8 men) with osteoporotic compression fractures. MR studies were performed 1–5 days before vertebroplasty. Patients were followed to evaluate refracture for a minimum of 6 months after treatment. Cox proportional hazards model was used to evaluate relationships between clinical data, covariates on pre-procedural MRI, and the presence of cemented vertebrae refracture. The mean refracture rate was estimated with the Kaplan–Meier method. After a mean follow-up of 23.0 ± 8.2 months, 46 cemented vertebrae (57%) experienced refracture, and the mean loss of anterior vertebral height was 11.3%. The 1-year refracture rate after vertebroplasty was 7%, and rapid increased to 76% in the third year. Cox proportional analysis showed that any 1% decrease in signal intensity on T2-weighted images of the injured vertebra will increase the refracture rate by 0.74% (OR = 0.26, 95% CI 0.08–0.81, p = 0.02), and a 1% increase in the poorly enhanced volume ratio will increase the refracture rate by 4.3% (OR = 5.32, 95% CI 1.22–23.14, p = 0.03). Quantitative pre-procedural MRI appears to be useful in exploring vertebrae with poor bone marrow integrity, which effectively predicts the subsequent refracture of cemented vertebra.

Cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis (CTX) is a rare genetic disorder. Recent studies show that brain damage in CTX patients extends beyond the abnormalities observed on conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We studied the MRI and 99 mTc-ethyl cysteinate dimer single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) findings of CTX patients and made a correlation with the neuropsychological presentations.