Department of Neurosurgery, Surgery of Spine and Peripheral Nerves, Medical University of Lodz, Żeromskiego 113, 90-549 Łódź, Poland.
Department of Neurosurgery, Surgery of Spine and Peripheral Nerves, Medical University of Lodz, Żeromskiego 113, 90-549 Łódź, Poland.
Neurochirurgie. 2022 Feb;68(2):232-234. doi: 10.1016/j.neuchi.2021.02.017. Epub 2021 Mar 23.
Thoracic osteophytes are a common feature of degenerative spine disease. However, it is rare that osteophytes overgrowth on the anterior surface of thoracic spine results in the compression of vital structures and causes symptoms. A 39-year old man with a two-year history of thoracic and upper abdominal pain was admitted to the neurosurgery ward after having been seen by several specialists. Thoracic spine MRI and CT scans were analyzed. Osteophytes were identified on the anterolateral right side at level T8-T9 and were indicated as a possible cause of the symptoms. After obtaining patient consent, surgery was performed with transthoracic access to the anterolateral surface of the spine. Intraoperatively, the greater splanchnic nerve was released by osteophyte removal. The patient reported improvement of the preoperative symptoms at the six-month and two-year follow-up visit. Postoperative MRI indicated complete osteophyte excision. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of symptomatic sympathetic trunk branch compression by thoracic osteophytes.
胸椎骨赘是退行性脊柱疾病的常见特征。然而，极为罕见的是，胸椎前表面的骨赘过度生长会压迫重要结构并引起症状。一名 39 岁男性，有两年的胸背部和上腹部疼痛病史，在经过几位专家诊治后被收入神经外科病房。对其进行了胸椎 MRI 和 CT 扫描分析。在 T8-T9 水平的右侧前外侧发现骨赘，并被认为是引起症状的可能原因。在获得患者同意后，通过经胸入路对脊柱的前外侧表面进行了手术。术中，通过去除骨赘来释放大肠系膜神经。患者在术后 6 个月和 2 年的随访中报告术前症状有所改善。术后 MRI 提示骨赘完全切除。据我们所知，这是首例由胸椎骨赘引起的交感干分支压迫症状的报告。
