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Pseudarthrosis occurs after approximately 2-20% of anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) procedures; it is unclear if posterior or anterior revision should be pursued. In this study, we retrospectively evaluate the outcomes in 22 patients with pseudarthrosis following ACDF and revision via posterior cervical fusion (PCF). Baseline demographics, preoperative symptoms, operative data, time to fusion failure, symptoms of pseudarthrosis, and revision method were assessed. Fusion outcome and clinical outcome were determined at last follow-up (LFU). Thirteen females (59%) and 9 (41%) males experienced pseudarthrosis at a median of 11 (range: 3-151)months after ACDF. Median age at index surgery was 51 (range: 33-67)years. All patients with pseudarthrosis presented with progressive neck pain, with median visual analog scale (VAS) score of 8 (range: 0-10), and/or myeloradiculopathy. Patients with pseudarthrosis <12 months compared to >12 months after index surgery were older (p=0.013), had more frequent preoperative neurological deficits (p=0.064), and lower baseline VAS scores (p=0.006). Fusion was successful after PCF in all patients, with median time to fusion of 10 (range: 2-14)months. Eighteen patients fused both anteriorly and posteriorly, two patients fused anteriorly only, and two patients fused posteriorly only. Median VAS neck score at LFU significantly improved from the time of pseudarthrosis (p=0.012). While uncommon, pseudarthrosis may occur after ACDF. All patients achieved successful fusion after subsequent posterior cervical fusion, with 91% fusing a previous anterior pseudarthrosis after posterior stabilization. Neck pain significantly improved by LFU in the majority of patients in this study., (Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Over the past 10 years, transverse sinus stenting has grown in popularity as a treatment for idiopathic intracranial hypertension. Although promising results have been demonstrated in several reported series, the vast majority of patients in these series have been treated on an elective basis rather than in the setting of fulminant disease with acute visual deterioration. We identified four patients who presented with severe acute vision loss between 2008 and 2012 who were treated with urgent transverse sinus stenting with temporary cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diversion with lumbar puncture or lumbar drain as a bridge to therapy. All patients presented with headache, and this was stable or had improved at last follow-up. Three patients had improvement in some or all visual parameters following stenting, whereas one patient who presented with severe acute vision loss and optic disc pallor progressed to blindness despite successful stenting. We hypothesize that she presented too late in the course of the disease for improvement to occur. Although the management of fulminant idiopathic intracranial hypertension remains challenging, we believe that transverse sinus stenting, in conjunction with temporary CSF diversion, represents a viable treatment option in the acute and appropriate setting., (Published by Elsevier Ltd.)