Communicating Syringomyelia.

Background: Communicating syringomyelia can develop in association with hydrocephalus, with communication between syringomyelia and the fourth ventricle a representative neuroimaging finding.

Case Description: A 51-year-old woman presented with slowly progressive bladder dysfunction and scoliosis. She had a nonfunctioning cerebrospinal fluid shunt that had been placed after birth for neonatal hydrocephalus.

Changes in Cognitive Function Scores After Cerebrospinal Fluid Tap Testing in Patients with Suspected Idiopathic Normal-Pressure Hydrocephalus.

Background: In patients suspected of having idiopathic normal-pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH), improvement in impaired cognition is common after a diagnostic cerebrospinal fluid tap test (CSFTT). Measures used to evaluate cognitive function before and after a CSFTT include the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB), and Trail Making Test (TMT). However, the time point at which cognitive function should be reevaluated after a CSFTT remains controversial.

Investigation and clinical applications of muscle strength change in cerebrospinal fluid tap test in cases of idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus: A retrospective study.

The cerebrospinal fluid tap test (CSFTT) is widely used to diagnose idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) and predict the therapeutic effectiveness of shunting. However, the ability to walk cannot be quantified for patients who are unable to walk. Therefore, we examined whether the iNPH diagnostic aid is possible using dynamometry, even for patients who are unable to walk.

Ocular Circulation and Chronic Ocular Ischemic Syndrome before and after Carotid Artery Revascularization Surgery.

Background. We evaluated the effect of carotid revascularization surgery on ocular circulation and chronic ocular ischemic syndrome (OIS). Methods.

Carpal tunnel syndrome: electrophysiological grading and surgical results by minimum incision open carpal tunnel release.

The safety and effectiveness of the minimum incision technique were assessed in 138 hands of 108 consecutive patients with carpal tunnel syndrome treated from April 1, 1997 to March 31, 2006. Clinical and electrophysiological examinations were conducted before and after surgical decompression. All hands were divided into early, mild, moderate, and severe groups based on preoperative electrophysiological severity.

Clinical study of therapeutic angiogenesis by autologous peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) transplantation in 92 patients with critically ischemic limbs.

Patients with critically ischemic limbs due to maintenance hemodialysis and diabetes are increasing in number markedly in Japan. The difficulty of treating critically ischemic limbs is well recognized. Despite active medication and surgical therapy, many critically ischemic limbs are amputated.

Effect of carotid artery stenting on ocular circulation and chronic ocular ischemic syndrome.

Background: The authors evaluated the effect of carotid artery stenting (CAS) on ocular circulation and chronic ocular ischemic syndrome.

Methods: We examined 38 patients with carotid artery stenosis (>80%) at its origin treated with CAS. Ocular circulation and symptoms were examined before, within 24 h, and 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months after CAS based on ophthalmic artery color Doppler flow imaging and ophthalmological examinations.

[Case report of spontaneous cervical epidural hematoma in elderly].

Spontaneous spinal epidural hematomas (SSEH) are relatively rare clinical entities and associated with coagulopathies, tumors, or vascular malformation. In addition, these are often neurosurgical emergencies; therefore, prompt diagnosis and treatment are paramount. We reported a case of an 87-year-old woman with spontaneous cervical epidural hematoma.

[Extracranial vertebral artery dissection repeating distal embolism: case report].

We report a case of vertebral artery (VA) dissection presenting with repeated distal embolism. A 48-year-old man was admitted to our institution with neck pain and vertigo of two day duration. MRI on arrival showed infarction of the left cerebellar hemisphere and the right occipital lobe.

Prevention of limb amputation in patients with limbs ulcers by autologous peripheral blood mononuclear cell implantation.

There are many cases of amputation of ischemic limbs of dialysis patients due to diabetes, despite the availability of medicine therapy and vascular by-pass operations. As there is extensive ruin of the vascular bed due to diabetes, vascular regeneration therapy by stem cell implantation is effective. Thirty patients with ischemic limbs due to diabetes (not including type-I) and on dialysis for chronic renal failure (19 cases), diabetes (5 cases), dialysis patients without diabetes (4 cases), and arteriosclerosis obliterans (ASO, 2 cases) were treated by autologous peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) implantation where imminent amputation was under consideration.

De novo basilar top aneurysm in an elderly patient treated with Guglielmi detachable coils.

Ruptured de novo aneurysms, compared with the usual subarachnoid hemorrhage, commonly occur in younger patients and are extremely rare in elderly patients. We discuss their etiology and report the case of a ruptured de novo aneurysm in a 77-year-old woman.

[Subclavian steal phenomenon complicating an upper extremity arteriovenous fistula for hemodialysis].

We report a case of 47-year-old man with subclavian steal phenomenon (SSP). He affected chronic renal failure and received an upper extremity arteriovenous fistula creation for hemodialysis. Angiography showed SSP from right vertebral artery to left subclavian artery (SA), and mild stenosis of left SA.

[Lung, bronchus, thorax].

Accumulating evidences suggested that three dimensional computed tomography(3D-CT) is important modality for differential diagnosis of tumorous lesion in lung. Here we report that virtual reconstruction of lung by 3D-CT is useful for diagnosis of emphysematous lesion, cystic lung disease, spontaneous pneumothorax and virtualized endoscopy.

Spontaneous rupture of a presumed colloid cyst of the third ventricle--case report.

An 83-year-old man presented with gait disturbance, dementia, and urinary incontinence that had progressed over 2 months. Computed tomography (CT) of the brain revealed hydrocephalus due to a well-demarcated, round hyperdense mass in the third ventricle, which was not enhanced by contrast agent. Ten days after the initial evaluation, CT revealed that the cyst in the third ventricle had disappeared.