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Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) Oct 2021: Neck-tongue syndrome (NTS) is rare, and characterized by unilateral upper neck or occipital pain and paresthesia in the ipsilateral hemisphere of the tongue due to... (Review)
Review
: Neck-tongue syndrome (NTS) is rare, and characterized by unilateral upper neck or occipital pain and paresthesia in the ipsilateral hemisphere of the tongue due to neck movement. Treatment for NTS is mainly conservative, but the symptoms, causes, and rationale for treatment remain controversial. This study aimed to provide a framework for NTS treatment in clinical practice based on recent treatment directions. : Case reports published from the past 20 years to August 2021 were searched through MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PEDro databases. Since there is no established management for NTS, the search terms were neck-tongue syndrome and case reports. The Critical Appraisal Checklist for Case Reports was used for the quality assessment of case reports. Through descriptive analysis, NTS symptoms, interventions, and results were reviewed. : Among the 16 studies searched, six case reports were selected and analyzed based on eight criteria. Symptoms included neck pain and ipsilateral tongue paralysis when the head was turned. As an intervention, six and four studies showed immediate symptom relief through manual therapy and exercise, respectively. : Based on the reviewed evidence, management through physical therapy and chiropractic therapy with conservative methods such as manual therapy and exercise for patients with neck-tongue syndrome is recommended.
Topics: Humans; Neck Pain; Physical Therapy Modalities; Tongue
PubMed: 34684134
DOI: 10.3390/medicina57101097 -
Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) Mar 2022The aim of this review was to analyze the existing literature and investigate the outcomes or complications of lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF) combined with... (Review)
Review
The aim of this review was to analyze the existing literature and investigate the outcomes or complications of lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF) combined with indirect decompression for degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis (DS). A database search algorithm was used to query MEDLINE, COCHRANE, and EMBASE to identify the literature reporting LLIF with indirect decompression for DS between January 2010 and December 2021. Improvements in outcome measures and complication rates were pooled and tested for significance. A total of 412 publications were assessed, and 12 studies satisfied the inclusion criteria after full review. The pooled data available in the included studies showed that 438 patients with lumbar spondylolisthesis (mean age 65.2 years; mean body mass index (BMI) 38.1 kg/m) underwent LLIF. A total of 546 disc spaces were operated on. The most frequently treated levels were L4-L5 and L3-L4. Clinically, the average improvement was 32.5% in ODI, 46.3 mm in low back pain, and 48.3 mm in leg pain estimated from the studies included. SF-36 PCS improved by 51.5% and MCS improved by 19.5%. For radiological outcomes, a reduction in slippage was seen in 6.3%. Disc height increased by 55%, foraminal height increased by 21.1%, the foraminal area on the approach side increased by 21.9%, and on the opposite side it increased by 26.1%. The cross-sectional spinal canal area increased by 20.6% after surgery. Post-operative complications occurred in 5-40% of patients with thigh symptoms, such as anterior thigh numbness, dysesthesia, discomfort, pain, and sensory deficits. Indirect decompression by LLIF for DS is an effective method for improving pain and dysfunction with less surgical invasion. In addition, it has the effect of significantly improving disc height, foraminal height and area, and segmental lordosis on radiological outcomes compared to the posterior approach.
Topics: Aged; Cross-Sectional Studies; Decompression; Humans; Low Back Pain; Lumbar Vertebrae; Retrospective Studies; Spinal Fusion; Spondylolisthesis; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 35454331
DOI: 10.3390/medicina58040492 -
International Angiology : a Journal of... Apr 2017Venoactive drugs (VADs) are considered an important component of the medical (conservative) treatment of chronic venous disorders (CVDs). However, the efficacy of... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Efficacy of Ruscus extract, HMC and vitamin C, constituents of Cyclo 3 fort®, on improving individual venous symptoms and edema: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trials.
INTRODUCTION
Venoactive drugs (VADs) are considered an important component of the medical (conservative) treatment of chronic venous disorders (CVDs). However, the efficacy of certain VADs on one or more individual leg symptoms may have not been extensively studied to justify a high level or grade of recommendation in guidelines on CVD. The aim of the present systematic review and meta-analysis was to study the effectiveness of VADs containing Ruscus across the spectrum of defined venous symptoms.
EVIDENCE ACQUISITION
On November 14 2016, a literature search of the databases MEDLINE and Scopus was performed, supplemented by hand searching, to identify randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trials on Ruscus extracts in patients with CVD.
EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS
The main outcome measures were the effects of Ruscus on individual symptoms and leg edema, which were expressed as risk ratio (RR) or standardized mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence interval (CI). Trial quality of evidence was graded using the GRADE system. We identified 10 trials, mostly with low risk of bias, on 719 patients. On qualitative analysis, Ruscus significantly improved seven defined leg symptoms, including pain, heaviness, fatigue, feeling of swelling, cramps, itching and paresthesia compared to placebo. On quantitative analysis, Ruscus compared with placebo, assessed as a categorical variable, reduced leg pain (RR=0.35, P=0.01, number needed to treat [NNT] 5, with no heterogeneity), heaviness (RR=0.26, P<0.00001, NNT=2.4, with a small amount of heterogeneity), feeling of swelling (RR=0.53, P<0.0001, NNT=4, with considerable heterogeneity, minimized after sensitivity analysis), paresthesia (RR=0.27, P<0.0001, NNT=1.8), global symptoms (RR=0.54, P<0.00001, NNT=4.3) and the total number of venous symptoms (RR 0.41, P=0.002). Similarly, Ruscus compared to placebo, assessed as a continuous variable reduced pain (SMD=-0.80, 95% CI: -1.21 to -0.39), heaviness (SMD=-1.23, 95% CI: -1.60 to -0.86), fatigue (SMD -1.16, 95% CI: -1.71 to -0.61), feeling of swelling (SMD=-2.27, 95% CI: -3.83 to -0.70), and paresthesia (SMD=-0.86, 95% CI: -1.51 to -0.21). Regarding objective assessments of leg edema, the use of Ruscus compared with placebo reduced ankle circumference (SMD=-0.74, 95% CI: -1.01 to -0.47) and leg or foot volume (SMD=-0.61, 95% CI: -0.91 to -0.31). The existing evidence, where sufficient, was mostly of high quality.
CONCLUSIONS
Based on high quality evidence, Ruscus extracts are highly effective in reducing symptoms and edema of patients with CVD.
Topics: Ascorbic Acid; Edema; Humans; Phytotherapy; Plant Extracts; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Ruscus; Vascular Diseases; Veins
PubMed: 28225220
DOI: 10.23736/S0392-9590.17.03815-9 -
Lasers in Medical Science Mar 2023Laser acupuncture can be used to treat neurosensory alterations and motor disorders caused by dental treatments. This study aimed to review the existing literature on... (Review)
Review
Laser acupuncture can be used to treat neurosensory alterations and motor disorders caused by dental treatments. This study aimed to review the existing literature on the effects of laser acupuncture on neuropathies in the context of dentistry and to search for treatment modalities in which this technique is used. This systematic review was conducted in accordance with the Cochrane Collaboration guidelines and the PICOS strategy. Randomized clinical trials that evaluated laser acupuncture as a primary intervention for facial neuropathy were included. We searched the database for relevant studies and manually searched the gray literature until April 2022, and finally included four studies. The study was considered eligible if it included patients with paresthesia, facial paralysis, or neuralgia, neuropathies within dentistry, and referred to the application of laser acupuncture as a treatment method. The risk of bias was assessed using the RoB 2 tool. It was observed that the recommended wavelengths ranged from 790 nm to 810 nm, with a frequency of at least two applications per week, and to a greater or lesser degree, all evaluated studies obtained an improvement in sensory or motor recovery of the facial nerves. The use of laser acupuncture presented itself as a viable alternative in dentistry for the treatment of paresthesia and facial paralysis due to its therapeutic potential in neuropathic treatment (CRD42022344339).
Topics: Humans; Bell Palsy; Facial Paralysis; Paresthesia; Acupuncture Therapy; Dentistry; Lasers
PubMed: 36964825
DOI: 10.1007/s10103-023-03754-w -
Cancer Diagnosis & Prognosis 2022To systematically review the patient characteristics and management approaches of adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) infiltrating the skull base. (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND/AIM
To systematically review the patient characteristics and management approaches of adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) infiltrating the skull base.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
According to PRISMA guidelines, PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane were searched to retrieve studies reporting management protocols and survival outcomes of patients with skull base ACCs. Patient characteristics, management strategies, and outcomes were investigated.
RESULTS
The review encompassed 17 studies involving 171 patients, with a female predominance (57.9%) and a mean age of 49±7.12 years. ACCs mostly infiltrated the paranasal sinus (22.2%), cavernous sinus (8.8%), and nasopharynx (7.1%). Perineural invasion was reported in 6.4% of cases. Facial pain, nasal obstruction, and facial paresthesia were the most common symptoms. Surgical resection (45.6%) was favored over biopsy (12.2%). Employing the free flap technique (4.7%), surgical reconstruction of the bony defect after resection was performed using abdominal and anterior thigh muscle grafts in 1.8% of patients each. As adjuvant management, 22.8% of cases had radiotherapy and 14.6% received chemotherapy. Recurrence of skull base ACCs occurred in 26.9% of cases during a mean follow up-time of 30.8±1.8 months.
CONCLUSION
Skull base ACCs pose a surgical challenge mainly due to their proximity to critical neurovascular structures and aggressive behavior. Surgical resection and radiotherapy are shown to be safe and effective treatment modalities. The dismal prognosis and limited data on non-surgical strategies highlight the need for further evaluation of the current management paradigm and upraising innovative therapies to improve patient mortality and quality of life.
PubMed: 36060029
DOI: 10.21873/cdp.10134 -
Journal of Clinical Medicine Apr 2019The risk of adverse effects of nitrous oxide (NO) exposure is insufficiently recognized despite its widespread use. These effects are mainly reported through case... (Review)
Review
The risk of adverse effects of nitrous oxide (NO) exposure is insufficiently recognized despite its widespread use. These effects are mainly reported through case reports. We conducted an individual patient data meta-analysis to assess the prevalence of clinical, laboratory, and magnetic resonance findings in association with NO exposure in medical and recreational settings. We calculated the pooled estimates for the studied outcomes and assessed the potential bias related to population stratification using principal component analysis. Eighty-five publications met the inclusion criteria and reported on 100 patients with a median age of 27 years and 57% of recreational users. The most frequent outcomes were subacute combined degeneration (28%), myelopathy (26%), and generalized demyelinating polyneuropathy (23%). A T2 signal hyperintensity in the spinal cord was reported in 68% (57.2-78.8%) of patients. The most frequent clinical manifestations included paresthesia (80%; 72.0-88.0%), unsteady gait (58%; 48.2-67.8%), and weakness (43%; 33.1-52.9%). At least one hematological abnormality was retrieved in 71.7% (59.9-83.4%) of patients. Most patients had vitamin B12 deficiency: vitamin B12 <150 pmol/L (70.7%; 60.7-80.8%), homocysteine >15 µmol/L (90.3%; 79.3-100%), and methylmalonic acid >0.4 µmol/L (93.8%; 80.4-100%). Consistently, 85% of patients exhibited a possibly or probably deficient vitamin B12 status according to the cB12 scoring system. NO can produce severe outcomes, with neurological or hematological disorders in almost all published cases. More than half of them are reported in the setting of recreational use. The NO-related burden is dominated by vitamin B12 deficiency. This highlights the need to evaluate whether correcting B12 deficiency would prevent NO-related toxicity, particularly in countries with a high prevalence of B12 deficiency.
PubMed: 31018613
DOI: 10.3390/jcm8040551 -
Reviews in the Neurosciences Apr 2021The ongoing pandemic of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has infected more than 27 million confirmed cases and 8,90,000 deaths all around the world. Verity of viral... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
The ongoing pandemic of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has infected more than 27 million confirmed cases and 8,90,000 deaths all around the world. Verity of viral infections can infect the nervous system; these viral infections can present a wide range of manifestation. The aim of the current study was to systematically review the COVID-19 associated central nervous system manifestations, mental and neurological symptoms. For that we conducted a comprehensive systematic literature review of four online databases, including Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus and Embase. All relevant articles that reported psychiatric/psychological symptoms or disorders in COVID-19 without considering time and language restrictions were assessed. All the study procedures were performed based on the PRISMA criteria. Due to the screening, 14 studies were included. The current study result indicated that, the pooled prevalence of CNS or mental associated disorders with 95% CI was 50.68% (6.68-93.88). The most prevalence symptoms were hyposmia/anosmia/olfactory dysfunction (number of study: 10) with 36.20% (14.99-60.51). Only one study reported numbness/paresthesia and dysphonia. Pooled prevalence of numbness/paresthesia and dysphonia was 5.83% (2.17-12.25) and 2.39% (10.75-14.22). The pooled prevalence of depression and anxiety was 3.52% (2.62-4.54) and 13.92% (9.44-19.08). Our findings demonstrate that COVID-19 has a certain relation with neurological symptoms. The hypsomia, anosmia or olfactory dysfunction was most frequent symptom. Other symptoms were headache or dizziness, dysgeusia or ageusia, dysphonia and fatigue. Depression, anxiety, and confusion were less frequent symptoms.
Topics: Anosmia; Anxiety; COVID-19; Depression; Dysgeusia; Dysphonia; Fatigue; Headache; Humans; Hypesthesia; Nervous System Diseases; Paresthesia; Prevalence; SARS-CoV-2
PubMed: 33618441
DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2020-0108 -
Biomedicines Oct 2022Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is increasingly used to treat painful diabetic neuropathy (PDN). At the time of a recent meta-analysis in this field, data were only... (Review)
Review
Indirect Comparison of 10 kHz Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS) versus Traditional Low-Frequency SCS for the Treatment of Painful Diabetic Neuropathy: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials.
Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is increasingly used to treat painful diabetic neuropathy (PDN). At the time of a recent meta-analysis in this field, data were only available from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of traditional low-frequency SCS (LF-SCS). However, outcomes from high-frequency 10 kHz SCS treatment are now available. Our study aimed to systematically review the contemporary evidence for SCS in patients with lower limb pain due to PDN and include an indirect comparison of the high- and low-frequency modalities. We searched the PubMed/CENTRAL databases up to 18 August 2022, for peer-reviewed RCTs of SCS that enrolled PDN patients with lower limb pain symptoms. The quality of the evidence was assessed with the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. Using SCS treatment arm data from the RCTs, we indirectly compared the absolute treatment effect of 10 kHz SCS and LF-SCS. Results are presented in tables and forest plots. This systematic review was reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 guidelines. Three RCTs met our eligibility criteria, including the recent 10 kHz SCS RCT (N = 216, 90 implanted) and 2 others that examined LF-SCS (N = 36, 17 implanted; N = 60, 37 implanted). Our analysis of 6-month data found clinically meaningful pain relief with each SCS modality. However, significantly greater pain reduction was identified for 10 kHz SCS over LF-SCS: average pain reduction in the 10 kHz SCS cohort was 73.7% compared with 47.5% in the pooled LF-SCS group (p < 0.0001). In the permanent implant subset, the 50% pain reduction responder rate was 83.3% in the 10 kHz SCS cohort versus 63.0% in the pooled LF-SCS group (p = 0.0072). The overall risk of bias of each included RCT was deemed high, mainly due to the absence of patient blinding. Our analysis indicates that paresthesia-free 10 kHz SCS can provide superior pain relief and responder rate over LF-SCS for managing PDN patients refractory to conventional medical management.
PubMed: 36289892
DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10102630 -
The Cochrane Database of Systematic... Apr 2017Post-dural puncture headache (PDPH) is one of the most common complications of diagnostic and therapeutic lumbar punctures. PDPH is defined as any headache occurring... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Post-dural puncture headache (PDPH) is one of the most common complications of diagnostic and therapeutic lumbar punctures. PDPH is defined as any headache occurring after a lumbar puncture that worsens within 15 minutes of sitting or standing and is relieved within 15 minutes of the patient lying down. Researchers have suggested many types of interventions to help prevent PDPH. It has been suggested that aspects such as needle tip and gauge can be modified to decrease the incidence of PDPH.
OBJECTIVES
To assess the effects of needle tip design (traumatic versus atraumatic) and diameter (gauge) on the prevention of PDPH in participants who have undergone dural puncture for diagnostic or therapeutic causes.
SEARCH METHODS
We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL and LILACS, as well as trial registries via the World Health Organization (WHO) International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) search portal in September 2016. We adopted the MEDLINE strategy for searching the other databases. The search terms we used were a combination of thesaurus-based and free-text terms for both interventions (lumbar puncture in neurological, anaesthesia or myelography settings) and headache.
SELECTION CRITERIA
We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) conducted in any clinical/research setting where dural puncture had been used in participants of all ages and both genders, which compared different tip designs or diameters for prevention of PDPH DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: We used the standard methodological procedures expected by Cochrane.
MAIN RESULTS
We included 70 studies in the review; 66 studies with 17,067 participants were included in the quantitative analysis. An additional 18 studies are awaiting classification and 12 are ongoing. Fifteen of the 18 studies awaiting classification mainly correspond to congress summaries published before 2010, in which the available information does not allow the complete evaluation of all their risks of bias and characteristics. Our main outcome was prevention of PDPH, but we also assessed the onset of severe PDPH, headache in general and adverse events. The quality of evidence was moderate for most of the outcomes mainly due to risk of bias issues. For the analysis, we undertook three main comparisons: 1) traumatic needles versus atraumatic needles; 2) larger gauge traumatic needles versus smaller gauge traumatic needles; and 3) larger gauge atraumatic needles versus smaller gauge atraumatic needles. For each main comparison, if data were available, we performed a subgroup analysis evaluating lumbar puncture indication, age and posture.For the first comparison, the use of traumatic needles showed a higher risk of onset of PDPH compared to atraumatic needles (36 studies, 9378 participants, risk ratio (RR) 2.14, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.72 to 2.67, I = 9%).In the second comparison of traumatic needles, studies comparing various sizes of large and small gauges showed no significant difference in effects in terms of risk of PDPH, with the exception of one study comparing 26 and 27 gauge needles (one study, 658 participants, RR 6.47, 95% CI 2.55 to 16.43).In the third comparison of atraumatic needles, studies comparing various sizes of large and small gauges showed no significant difference in effects in terms of risk of PDPH.We observed no significant difference in the risk of paraesthesia, backache, severe PDPH and any headache between traumatic and atraumatic needles. Sensitivity analyses of PDPH results between traumatic and atraumatic needles omitting high risk of bias studies showed similar results regarding the benefit of atraumatic needles in the prevention of PDPH (three studies, RR 2.78, 95% CI 1.26 to 6.15; I = 51%).
AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
There is moderate-quality evidence that atraumatic needles reduce the risk of post-dural puncture headache (PDPH) without increasing adverse events such as paraesthesia or backache. The studies did not report very clearly on aspects related to randomization, such as random sequence generation and allocation concealment, making it difficult to interpret the risk of bias in the included studies. The moderate quality of the evidence for traumatic versus atraumatic needles suggests that further research is likely to have an important impact on our confidence in the estimate of effect.
Topics: Back Pain; Equipment Design; Headache; Humans; Needles; Paresthesia; Post-Dural Puncture Headache; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Sensitivity and Specificity; Spinal Puncture
PubMed: 28388808
DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD010807.pub2 -
World Journal of Surgery Jun 2021This study aimed to evaluate the incidence of chronic groin pain (primary outcome) and alterations of sensitivity (secondary outcome) after Lichtenstein inguinal hernia... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to evaluate the incidence of chronic groin pain (primary outcome) and alterations of sensitivity (secondary outcome) after Lichtenstein inguinal hernia repair, comparing neurectomy with ilioinguinal nerve preservation surgery. The exact cause of chronic groin postoperative pain after mesh inguinal hernia repair is usually unclear. Section of the ilioinguinal nerve (neurectomy) may reduce postoperative chronic pain.
METHODS
We followed PRISMA guidelines to identify randomized studies reporting comparative outcomes of neurectomy versus ilioinguinal nerve preservation surgery during Lichtenstein hernia repairs. Studies were identified by searching in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science from April 2020. The protocol for this systematic review and meta-analysis was submitted and accepted from PROSPERO: CRD420201610.
RESULTS
In this systematic review and meta-analysis, 16 RCTs were included and 1550 patients were evaluated: 756 patients underwent neurectomy (neurectomy group) vs 794 patients underwent ilioinguinal nerve preservation surgery (nerve preservation group). All included studies analyzed Lichtenstein hernia repair. The majority of the new studies and data comes from a relatively narrow geographic region; other bias of this meta-analysis is the suitability of pooling data for many of these studies. A statistically significant percentage of patients with prosthetic inguinal hernia repair had reduced groin pain at 6 months after surgery at 8.94% (38/425) in the neurectomy group versus 25.11% (113/450) in the nerve preservation group [relative risk (RR) 0.39, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.28-0.54; Z = 5.60 (P < 0.00001)]. Neurectomy did not significantly increase the groin paresthesia 6 months after surgery at 8.5% (30/353) in the neurectomy group versus 4.5% (17/373) in the nerve preservation group [RR 1.62, 95% CI 0.94-2.80; Z = 1.74 (P = 0.08)]. At 12 months after surgery, there is no advantage of neurectomy over chronic groin pain; no significant differences were found in the 12-month postoperative groin pain rate at 9% (9/100) in the neurectomy group versus 17.85% (20/112) in the inguinal nerve preservation group [RR 0.50, 95% CI 0.24-1.05; Z = 1.83 (P = 0.07)]. One study (115 patients) reported data about paresthesia at 12 months after surgery (7.27%, 4/55 in neurectomy group vs. 5%, 3/60 in nerve preservation group) and results were not significantly different between the two groups [RR 1.45, 95% CI 0.34, 6.21;Z = 0.51 (P = 0.61)]. The subgroup analysis of the studies that identified the IIN showed a significant reduction of the 6th month evaluation of pain in both groups and confirmed the same trend in favor of neurectomy reported in the previous overall analysis: statistically significant reduction of pain 6 months after surgery at 3.79% (6/158) in the neurectomy group versus 14.6% (26/178) in the nerve preservation group [RR 0.28, 95% CI 0.13-0.63; Z = 3.10 (P = 0.002)].
CONCLUSION
Ilioinguinal nerve identification in Lichtenstein inguinal hernia repair is the fundamental step to reduce or avoid postoperative pain. Prophylactic ilioinguinal nerve neurectomy seems to offer some advantages concerning pain in the first 6th month postoperative period, although it might be possible that the small number of cases contributed to the insignificancy regarding paresthesia and hypoesthesia. Nowadays, prudent surgeons should discuss with patients and their families the uncertain benefits and the potential risks of neurectomy before performing the hernioplasty.
Topics: Denervation; Groin; Hernia, Inguinal; Herniorrhaphy; Humans; Pain, Postoperative; Surgical Mesh; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 33606079
DOI: 10.1007/s00268-021-05968-x