Effectiveness of intraoperative visual evoked potential in avoiding visual deterioration during endonasal transsphenoidal surgery for pituitary tumors.

Postoperative visual function is a major concern in transsphenoidal surgery (TSS). Although several reports have demonstrated the importance of visual evoked potential (VEP) monitoring during TSS, the usefulness of VEP monitoring have been controversial because of its reproducibility. Efficacy of VEP was analyzed in 20 consecutive cases of patients who underwent endoscopic endonasal TSS surgery.

Iatrogenic Atrial Septal Defect After Percutaneous Mitral Valve Repair With the MitraClip System.

This study examines the incidence of iatrogenic atrial septal defect (iASD) after the MitraClip procedure and its influence on echocardiographic and clinical outcomes. We examined 96 patients who underwent a successful MitraClip procedure and who also had baseline and 1-year postprocedure transthoracic echocardiograms. At 1-year follow-up, iASD were observed in 24% of cases.

Postprocedural Changes of Tricuspid Regurgitation After MitraClip Therapy for Mitral Regurgitation.

The effect of percutaneous mitral valve repair using the MitraClip system on tricuspid regurgitation (TR) has not been well investigated. We retrospectively analyzed 102 consecutive patients who underwent the successful MitraClip procedure, and who also had a preprocedural and 1-year follow-up transthoracic echocardiography. TR severity was graded by standard guideline-recommended criteria.

Endovascular Therapy for a Post-irradiated Cervical Pseudoaneurysm at the Carotid Stump: A Case Report.

A nearly 80-year-old man with a history of radiotherapy (RT) and total laryngectomy for laryngeal cancer 25 years previously presented with a rapidly growing mass on the right side of his neck. A huge pseudoaneurysm (pseudoAN) was detected at the right carotid bifurcation, though angiography performed four years previously had shown total occlusion of the internal carotid artery. Stent-assisted coil embolization enabled aneurysm sac shrinkage.

Intraoperative Mapping and Monitoring of the Pyramidal Tract Using Endoscopic Depth Electrodes.

Objective: To evaluate motor function during neuroendoscopic resectioning of deep-seated brain tumors using endoscopically guided depth electrodes.

Methods: For 12 cases of thalamic tumors, including high-grade gliomas, germinomas, and malignant lymphomas, depth electrodes were inserted using endoscopic guides between the tumor and the pyramidal tract in the thalamus. Motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) were continuously recorded during neuroendoscopic resectioning of the tumors.

Mitral annular motion in patients after transcatheter MitraClip and mitral valve surgery.

Background: Longitudinal motion of the mitral annulus is an index that reflects left ventricular (LV) function. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the effects of transcatheter mitral valve (MV) repair and open heart surgery for mitral regurgitation (MR) on mitral annular motion (MAM).

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed in total 115 patients who underwent isolated transcatheter MV repair using MitraClip (n=50) or surgical MV interventions (n=65, 50 repairs and 15 replacements) for MR.

[Bone Flap Resorption after Cranioplasty in Pediatric Patients:Report of 2 Cases].

Aseptic bone flap resorption, a rare complication after cranioplasty following decompressive craniectomy, is more likely to develop in children. We experienced two cases of aseptic bone flap resorption and identified potential pathophysiological mechanisms through histological findings. In the first case, an 11-year-old girl underwent decompressive craniectomy due to brain swelling with contusion.

[Pediatric Iatrogenic Vertebral Arteriovenous Fistula Successfully Treated with Endovascular Treatment:A Case Report].

Object: We report a relatively rare case of pediatric iatrogenic extradural vertebral arteriovenous fistula.

Case: A five-year-old boy with a history of multiple surgeries for Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return(TAPVR)exhibited vascular engorgement of his right neck from about 4 years old. We thought that this was caused by his past operations.

Eicosapentaenoic Acid combined with optimal statin therapy improves endothelial dysfunction in patients with coronary artery disease.

Purpose: Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) has been reported to augment endothelial function and improve clinical outcomes in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). The purpose of this study was to determine whether EPA could improve residual endothelial dysfunction despite adequate lipid-lowering with statin in CAD patients.

Methods: Eighty patients with established CAD, who had been on statin treatment and had serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels <100 mg/dl, were randomly assigned to receive either 1,800 mg of EPA daily plus statin (EPA group, n = 40) or statin alone (Control group, n = 40).

A case of posterior cerebral artery dissection presenting with migraine-like headache and visual field defect: usefulness of fast imaging employing steady-state acquisition (FIESTA) for diagnosis.

We report a 34-year-old woman with sudden onset of unilateral migraine-like headache and right homonymous hemianopsia. Fast imaging employing steady-state acquisition (FIESTA) of the posterior cerebral artery captured an intimal flap and a pseudolumen, leading to a diagnosis of posterior cerebral artery dissection. This case was considered a spontaneous posterior cerebral artery dissection causing migraine-like headache.

Incidence of intracranial arterial dissection in non-emergency outpatients complaining of headache: preliminary investigation with MRI/MRA examinations.

Purpose: Headache is recognized as one of the specific signs of intracranial arterial dissection (ICrAD). We clarified the incidence of ICrAD in non-emergency outpatients complaining of headache and the nature of headache observed in case of ICrAD.

Patient Population And Methods: Consecutive non-emergency outpatients coming to the neurological and neurosurgical departments and who underwent MRI and MRA examinations were included in this study.

Accuracy of three-dimensional echocardiography in patients with prior anteroseptal myocardial infarction.

Background: Echocardiography is the most feasible modality for monitoring cardiac volume and function. However, conventional two-dimensional echocardiography (2DE) is frequently not accurate in measuring cardiac performance in cases of abnormal left ventricular wall motion, because of the geometric assumptions. Quantitative gated scintigraphy and magnetic resonance imaging are reliable modalities, but are expensive and not feasible for repetitive use.

Therapeutic benefits of angiogenetic gene-modified human mesenchymal stem cells after cerebral ischemia.

Intravenous transplantation of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) expanded from adult bone marrow ameliorates functional deficits in rat cerebral infarction models. Several hypotheses to account for the therapeutic mechanisms have been suggested, but angiogenesis is thought to be of critical importance. Recently, we have reported the therapeutic benefits of hMSCs which have been transfected with the angiopoietin-1 gene in a rat permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model.

Effect of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors and beta-blockers on left ventricular remodeling after coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

Preventing left ventricular (LV) remodeling after coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) is important to avoid long-term congestive heart failure. The present study evaluated the effects of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and beta-blockers on LV remodeling. Twenty-three patients with angina pectoris and 36 with old myocardial infarction underwent CABG.

[Study on hemosiderin deposition after intracerebral hemorrhage].

Background And Purpose: Hemosiderin degenerated from intracerebral hematoma (ICH) can be visualized as low intensity on gradient-echo T2*-weighted (T2*-w) MRI, which is sensitive for hemosiderin. We studied the factors associated with the hemosiderin deposition on T2*-w MRI after ICH.

Methods: We analyzed T2*-w MRIs in 72 outpatients with past ICH (46 males, 26 females, 28-89 (60.

Region filling and object removal by exemplar-based image inpainting.

A new algorithm is proposed for removing large objects from digital images. The challenge is to fill in the hole that is left behind in a visually plausible way. In the past, this problem has been addressed by two classes of algorithms: 1) "texture synthesis" algorithms for generating large image regions from sample textures and 2) "inpainting" techniques for filling in small image gaps.