Ependymomas: Prognostic Factors and Outcome Analysis in a Retrospective Series of 33 Patients.

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prognostic factors and outcomes in patients with ependymoma to management plans.

Methods: Between 1997 and 2013, 33 patients with 25 ependymomas (WHO grade II) and eight anaplastic ependymomas (WHO grade III) were pathologically diagnosed. Six were pediatric patients (mean age, 6.

Prevention of Complications in Endoscopic Third Ventriculostomy.

A variety of complications in endoscopic third ventriculostomy have been reported, including neurovascular injury, hemodynamic alterations, endocrinologic abnormalities, electrolyte imbalances, cerebrospinal fluid leakage, fever and infection. Even though most complications are transient, the overall rate of permanent morbidity is 2.38% and the overall mortality rate is 0.

Traumatic Dural Venous Sinus Injury.

Objective: The importance of traumatic dural venous sinus injury lies in the probability of massive blood loss at the time of trauma or emergency operation resulting in a high mortality rate during the perioperative period. We considered the appropriate methods of treatment that are most essential in the overall management of traumatic dural venous sinus injuries.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of all cases involving patients with dural venous sinus injury who presented to our hospital between January 1999 and December 2014.

Predictive factors for a kyphosis recurrence following short-segment pedicle screw fixation including fractured vertebral body in unstable thoracolumbar burst fractures.

Objective: The technique of short segment pedicle screw fixation (SSPSF) has been widely used for stabilization in thoracolumbar burst fractures (TLBFs), but some studies reported high rate of kyphosis recurrence or hardware failure. This study was to evaluate the results of SSPSF including fractured level and to find the risk factors concerned with the kyphosis recurrence in TLBFs.

Methods: This study included 42 patients, including 25 males and 17 females, who underwent SSPSF for stabilization of TLBFs between January 2003 and December 2010.

Traction Induced Vertical Displacement of Odontoid due to Type III Odontoid Fracture with Unrecognized Ligamentous Injury: A Case Report.

Dens fractures are a common traumatic cervical spine injury. Among them, a type III fracture is the second common fracture. Although there are several treatment options, it has been accepted that type III fracture is usually healed by non-surgical method.

Arachnoid Membrane Suturing for Prevention of Subdural Fluid Collection in Extracranial-intracranial Bypass Surgery.

Objective: Water-tight closure of the dura in extracranial-intracranial (EC-IC) bypass is impossible because the superficial temporal artery (STA) must run through the dural defect. Consequently, subdural hygroma and subcutaneous cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) collection frequently occur postoperatively. To reduce these complications, we prospectively performed suturing of the arachnoid membrane after STA-middle cerebral artery (STA-MCA) and evaluated the clinical usefulness.

Value of indocyanine green videoangiography in deciding the completeness of cerebrovascular surgery.

Objective: Recently, microscope-integrated near infrared indocyanine green videoangiography (ICG-VA) has been widely used in cerebrovascular surgery because it provides real-time high resolution images. In our study, we evaluate the efficacy of intraoperative ICG-VA during cerebrovascular surgery.

Methods: Between August 2011 and April 2012, 188 patients with cerebrovascular disease were surgically treated in our institution.

The usefulness of electromagnetic neuronavigation in the pediatric neuroendoscopic surgery.

Objective: Neuroendoscopy is applied to various intracranial pathologic conditions. But this technique needs informations for the anatomy, critically. Neuronavigation makes the operation more safe, exact and lesser invasive procedures.

Prognostic significance of neuronal marker expression in glioblastomas.

Purpose: Glioblastomas are the most malignant tumors of central nervous system neoplasms and are well known for their biological heterogeneity. Contrary to the putative hypothesis of purely glial differentiation in glioblastomas, they often demonstrate immunopositivity for neuronal markers. However, the significance of their neuronal marker expression is still controversial.

Post-traumatic cerebral infarction : outcome after decompressive hemicraniectomy for the treatment of traumatic brain injury.

Objective: Posttraumatic cerebral infarction (PTCI), an infarction in well-defined arterial distributions after head trauma, is a known complication in patients with severe head trauma. The primary aims of this study were to evaluate the clinical and radiographic characteristics of PTCI, and to assess the effect on outcome of decompressive hemicraniectomy (DHC) in patients with PTCI.

Methods: We present a retrospective analysis of 20 patients with PTCI who were treated between January 2003 and August 2005.

Rapid progression of unilateral moyamoya disease.

The detailed clinical characteristics of unilateral moyamoya disease (MMD) have not been fully elucidated. It has been reported that some patients with unilateral MMD progress to bilateral involvement, while others remain with the unilateral variant. In this series, we present a case of unilateral MMD that progressed to bilateral involvement over the course of just one month.

Endocrinological outcomes of pediatric craniopharyngiomas with anatomical pituitary stalk preservation: preliminary study.

Objective: We reviewed 17 pediatric craniopharyngioma patients, with a special focus on endocrinological outcomes and tumor recurrence with pituitary stalk preservation.

Methods: From 1992 to February 2008, 17 patients underwent 27 surgical procedures. The male-female patient ratio was 12:5 and median patient age was 12 years (range, 4-18 years).

Increased expression of L-amino acid transporters in balloon cells of tuberous sclerosis.

Objects: Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a dysgenetic syndrome involved in multiple organs, and the pathognomonic cortical tuber act as an epileptic substrate. The amino acid transport system L (LAT) is a major nutrient transport system, and LAT1 is highly expressed in malignant tumors to support tumor cell growth. To study the life-long epilepsy from the cortical tuber, the expression of LAT1 in balloon cells and dysplastic neurons of the cortical tuber is investigated.

Spontaneous resolution of a traumatic cervicothoracic epidural hematoma presenting with transient paraplegia: a case report.

Study Design: Case description.

Objective: To clinically and radiographically describe a traumatic spinal epidural hematoma (TSEH) without adjacent spinal column fracture or soft tissue injury that completely resolved, without surgical intervention.

Summary Of Background Data: Symptomatic TSEH is an infrequent condition after spinal trauma, accounting for 0.

Thoracic myelopathy caused by ossification of the ligamentum flavum.

Objective: Ossification of the ligamentum flavum (OLF) is a rare cause of thoracic myelopathy. The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with the surgical outcome on the basis of preoperative clinical and radiological findings.

Methods: Data obtained in 26 patients whot underwent posterior decompression for thoracic myelopathy, caused by thoracic OLF, were analyzed retrospectively.

Surgical strategies using cerebral revascularization in complex middle cerebral artery aneurysms.

Objectives: To describe surgical strategies using cerebral revascularization for complex middle cerebral artery aneurysms unsuitable to microsurgical clipping.

Materials And Methods: In this study, the clinical features, case management, and results in 9 consecutive patients who underwent 10 cerebral revascularization procedures between January 1999 and April 2008 were retrospectively analyzed. The patient population consisted of 6 men and 3 women whose ages ranged from 15 to 71 years (mean, 42.

The role of collagen type I alpha2 polymorphisms: intracranial aneurysms in Koreans.

Background: The COL1A2 is located on chromosome 7q22.1, and mutations in this gene have been associated with the development of IAs. In this study, we investigated whether the rs42524 and rs2621215 polymorphisms of the COL1A2 gene are associated with the development of cerebral aneurysms in the Korean population.

Post-traumatic intradiploic leptomeningeal cyst of the posterior fossa in an adult.

Intradiploic cysts in the posterior fossa are rare. We report a post-traumatic intradiploic leptomeningeal cyst in an adult and review the diagnosis and pathogenesis of this lesion. A 28-year-old woman presented with a headache and a hard mass in the occipital region.

The clinical utility of the Kopitnik arteriovenous malformation microclip during STA-MCA bypass surgery.

Purpose: Yasagil temporary clips have been widely used in extracranial-intracranial (EC-IC) arterial bypass surgery. However, the extremely delicate vessels involved often require the application of finer clips. We report on the use of the Kopitnik arteriovenous malformation (AVM) microclip system for superficial temporal artery-middle cerebral artery (STA-MCA) bypass.

Intramedullary subependymoma of the thoracic spinal cord.

We report a rare case of a thoracic intramedullary subependymoma in a 37-year-old woman. The patient developed a monoparesis of the right leg after a subtotal resection of the tumor. During the 30 months of follow-up the neurological deficit improved and the patient remained symptom free without progression of the remnant tumor.

Clinical analysis of risk factors related to recurrent chronic subdural hematoma.

Objective: Burr hole drainage has been widely used to treat chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH). However, the incidence of recurrent CSDH varies from 3.7 to 30% after surgery.

An intraosseous malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor of the cervical spine: a case report and review of the literature.

Study Design: Case description.

Objectives: To report a rare case of intraosseous malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNST), and review the pertinent medical literature.

Summary Of Background Data: The spinal MPNST that develops from spinal nerve roots and secondary bony erosion is well-known entity.

Spinal cord injury produced by direct damage during cervical transforaminal epidural injection.

Objective: Cervical transforaminal epidural steroid injection (TFESI) has become a common treatment for cervical radiculopathy. We describe a case of spinal cord injury caused by direct injection of iohexol into the cervical spinal cord during cervical TFESI.

Case Report: A 55-year-old male suffered from intractable pain in the neck, radiating to his left arm.

A polymorphic variant of the endoglin gene is associated with increased risk for intracranial aneurysms in a Korean population.

Background: Endoglin is a component of the transforming growth factor-beta receptor complex and is predominantly expressed on the cell surface of endothelial cells. It plays an important role in vascular growth and development. There have been conflicting reports on whether a polymorphic variant, in the endoglin gene, is associated with risk for IAs.

Pathophysiologic characteristics of balloon cells in cortical dysplasia.

Objects: Balloon cells are histopathological hallmarks of cortical malformations, i.e., focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) of the Taylor type or the cortical tubers of tuberous sclerosis, and they are believed to be the epileptogenic substrate and cause therapeutic drug resistant epilepsy in man.