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Ethiopathogenesis, diagnostic and treatment of spinal haemangioma remains suggestive topic not only for surgeons. The development of diagnostic imaging methods allows more precise evaluation of the pathology and optimal therapeutic planning. We have many therapeutic modalities: selective embolisation, radiotherapy, vertebroplasty, alcohol ablation and surgery. It depends on radiologic findings and clinical status which of them is used. The treatment of emergent compression is still the domain of surgeon. In the therapy of haemangiomas causing local pain, we prefer less invasive procedures. The interdisciplinary cooperation is required for the successful treatment.

Stress (insufficient) sacral bone fracture is a seriously painful disease with discussed and disunited therapy. Older women sufferig from osteoporosis create the main group in which this fracture occurs. Clinically, serious pain in sacral area is the most common symptome. This pain may last for a long time when treated conservatively and it can lead to pacient's immobilization with related comorbidity. In 2% of patients, neurological complications can be observed. Authors present summary of published studies and demonstrate an own case treated using percutaneous sacroplasty.

Background: The aim of the study is to present results of a prospective uncontrolled clinical study. Percutaneous vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty are minimally invasive methods based on polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) bone cement application into the damaged vertebra. This leads to decrease of the pain and vertebral body stabilisation. Oncology disorders of the spine are relatively common, having a wide alternative of various methods of treatment. Patients, according to their findings and indication criteria, are treated surgically or conservatively, oncological treatment is usually based on radiotherapy. Authors discuss the role of these invasive procedures in the treating algorithm of patients with spinal metasthases and multiple myeloma., Methods and Results: From September 2003 to December 2005, 21 percutaneous vertebroplasties in 14 patients, mean age 68.7 (47-80) year, were performed in our department. During one treatment session 1-2 vertebrae (total of 21 vertebrae) in level Th9 - L5 were treated. Vertebroplasties and kyphoplasty were performed under fluoroscopy guidance. Transpedicular acces was used. Totally, 3 asymptomatic complications were proved. As first, a bone cement leaked paravertebrally during L5 body treatment, as second, a bone cement leaked into paravertebral veins, and as third, a bone cement leaked into the intervertebral space. Visual analog scale (VAS) was 8.9 points before procedure, 1.9 point 3 months after procedure and 2.6 points 6 months after procedure. We did not prove a symptomatic or total complication., Conclusions: According to our experience, percutaneous vertebroplasty is an effective alternative treatment of painful oncologic spine disease.

The authors retrospectively evaluated group of patiens treated at the Department of neurosurgery in Hradec Králové from 10/1993 to 10/2004 with the diagnosis of brain abscess. During this period, we treated 23 patients, 15 males and 8 women with the median age 48 years. Patiens with the iatrogenic etiology and those with pyocefalus and subdural and epidural empyema were excluded from this group. We provided 45 surgical procedures with total mortality 17,4 %.

In our set of 19 operated patients with spinal myeloma it was in 17 patients (89%) the first manifestation of malignant haematological disease. Indication for admission for surgery were in 18 patients (92%) graphical signs of spinal compression of osteolytic affliction of the vertebra of unclear aetiology, which in 17 (63%) of patients were demonstrated by neurological deficit. On the basis of graphical examinations the most frequent suspicion was on metastatic affliction of the spine at unknown primary focus and the basic diagnosis was determined after the operation at most of cases. In decision about the choice of radicalness of surgery intervention important data about the type of tumour in the spine were usually missing and it especially did not make possible to estimate the life expectation of the patient. When deciding about the radicalness of the surgery, we started from the degree of spinal compression and surgical character of pathological process in the spine. The aim of the operation is to decompress the spinal cord in tumour and to stabilize the afflicted part of the spine. Radical extirpation of tumour followed with stabilization and spine reconstruction we decided to carry out in 7 patients, i.e. 37%, all of them clinically improved and from this group only 2 patients (29%) died till now. We carried out only palliative surgery on the spine in next 12 patients, i.e. in 63%, only 6 patients improved neurologically, i.e. 50% and 10 patients, i.e. 83% died till now.

Percutaneous vertebroplasty is a therapeutic, interventional radiologic procedure originally developed in France by Galibert, Deramond et al. (1987). The technique consists of the percutaneous puncture of the affected vertebral body, followed by injection of bone cement into a vertebral body for the relief of pain, and the strengthening of the bone. The procedure was used initially to treat aggressive hemangiomas, but it then was extended to the treatment of osteolytic metastases, multiple myeloma and osteoporotic compression fractures refractory to medical therapy. In this article we review the current techniques, indications for this procedure, preoperative and postoperative evaluations.

The authors present a rare and unusual case of complication, migration of osteosynthetic material for stabilization, titanium rod, which was used for stabilization of comminutive fracture of the first lumbar vertebra. This rod migrated from the retroperitoneal space to the pleural cavity. The removal of this rod was carried out by videothoracoscopy.

Vascular access quality monitoring by means of vascular access blood flow (QVA) evaluated from automated thermodilutional measurement of recirculation with reverse needle position is described. This method provides significant advantages over conventional methods based on simple monitoring of pressures in the extracorporeal circuit and/or measurement of recirculation with normal needle position. AQVA evaluation protocol was developed and introduced into the system of primary nursing. The QVA values were found independent of the extracorporeal blood flow used during the recirculation measurement. QVA values from below 200 ml/min to over 2 l/min were seen. In general, lower values were found in diabetics compared to non-diabetics and in females compared to males. While blood flow below 600 ml/min is considered risky for synthetic vascular grafts, native AV-fistulae seem to remain stable and patent at a flow of 400 ml/min or even below. The method is able to detect erroneous needle placement in looped grafts, stenosis between needles, and is also well suited for effective evaluation of success/failure of interventions on access.

It outflows from a survey of 174 cases operated during five years for skull injuries that the resulting state depends of preoperative level of consciousness. In injuries with the loss of consciousness, there is a close correlation between the type of motor-topain response and the resulting state. It was stated from the delay for up to 5 years after surgery that the independence from the day life has been achieved in 65% of injured patients which experienced preoperatively a mild loss of consciousness as they localized the pain stimulus or produced unintelligible sounds in response to pain. The similar condition has been achieved in only 14% cases of preoperatively deep loss of consciousness, which responded to pain or not with decerebrative extension, or unconsciously flexion of extremities. The resulting state is less dependent of operative diagnosis. Epidural hematomas show better results, where the independence of the day life has been achieved in 62% of cases. The majority of them was able to perform their previous working activities later on. In contrast, the worst results were achieved in association with brain contusions, where only 18% of injured patients sustained the independence of environs with no return to the previous work. Prognostically, the factor of age is the most important. In the age group over than 60 years, the mortality represented 58%, whereas in 20-40 years of age it was only 24%.