Combination treatment for rapid growth of a saccular aneurysm on the internal carotid artery dorsal wall: case report.

Aneurysms arising from non-branching sites of the supraclinoid internal carotid artery (ICA) are considered rare, accounting for only 0.9-6.5% of all ICA aneurysms.

Does intramedullary signal intensity on MRI affect the surgical outcomes of patients with ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament?

Objectives: Patients with cervical ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) are susceptible to cord injury, which often develops into myelopathic symptoms. However, little is known regarding the prognostic factors that are involved in minor trauma. We evaluated the relationship between minor trauma and neurological outcome of OPLL and investigated the prognostic factors with a focus on compressive factors and intramedullary signal intensity (SI).

Acute spontaneous cervical epidural hematoma mimicking cerebral stroke: a case report and literature review.

Spontaneous cervical epidural hematoma (SCEDH) is a rare disease, but can cause severe neurologic impairment. We report a case of a 68-year-old female who presented with sudden onset, posterior neck pain, right shoulder pain, and progressive right hemiparesis mimicking stroke with no trauma history. Initial brain CT and diffusion MRI performed to rule out brain lesion did not show any positive findings.

Prognostic factors and clinical outcomes of acute intracerebral hemorrhage in patients with chronic kidney disease.

Objective: We conducted a retrospective study examining the outcomes of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) to identify parameters associated with prognosis.

Methods: From January 2001 to June 2008, we treated 32 ICH patients (21 men, 11 women; mean age, 62 years) with CKD. We surveyed patients age, sex, underlying disease, neurological status using Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), ICH volume, hematoma location, accompanying intraventricular hemorrhage, anti-platelet agents, initial and 3rd day systolic blood pressure (SBP), clinical outcome using the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) and complications.

The clinical efficacy of decompressive craniectomy in patients with an internal carotid artery territory infarction.

Objective: To evaluate the surgical efficacy of and factors associated with decompressive craniectomy in patients with an internal carotid artery (ICA) territory infarction.

Methods: Seventeen patients (8 men and 9 women, average age 61.53 years, range 53-77 years) were treated by decompressive craniectomy for an ICA territory infarction at our institute.

The unusual origin of the sternocleidomastoid artery from the lingual artery.

The sternocleidomastoid (SCM) artery supplying blood to the SCM muscle has different origins according to its anatomical segment. The authors performed cadaveric neck dissection to review the surgical anatomy of neurovascular structures surrounding the carotid artery in the neck. During the dissection, an unusual finding was cited in which the SCM artery supplying the middle part of the SCM muscle originated from the lingual artery (LA); it was also noted that it crossed over the hypoglossal nerve (HN).

Clinical outcomes of halo-vest immobilization and surgical fusion of odontoid fractures.

Objective: In the present study, authors retrospectively reviewed the clinical outcomes of halo-vest immobilization (HVI) versus surgical fixation in patients with odontoid fracture after either non-surgical treatment (HVI) or with surgical fixation.

Methods: From April 1997 to December 2008, we treated a total of 60 patients with upper cervical spine injuries. This study included 31 (51.

Correction of superior sulcus deformity with orbital fat anatomic repositioning and fat graft applied to retro-orbicularis oculi fat for Asian eyelids.

Background: "Sunken eyelid" is a term used to describe a deeply sunken area between the upper eyelid and upper edge of the orbital bone. The condition frequently is accompanied by blepharoptosis. Correction of a "sunken eyelid" generally is performed with a fat graft.

Optimal use of the halo-vest orthosis for upper cervical spine injuries.

Purpose: Upper cervical fractures can heal with conservative treatments such as halo-vest immobilization (HVI) and Minerva jackets without surgery. The most rigid of these, HVI, remains the most frequently used treatment in many centers despite its relatively high frequency of orthosis-related complications. We conducted this study to investigate the clinical outcome, effectiveness, patient satisfaction, and associated complications of HVI.

Decompressive surgery in a patient with posttraumatic syringomyelia.

Posttraumatic syringomyelia may result from a variety of inherent conditions and traumatic events, or from some combination of these. Many hypotheses have arisen to explain this complex disorder, but no consensus has emerged. A 28-year-old man presented with progressive lower extremity weakness, spasticity, and decreased sensation below the T4 dermatome five years after an initial trauma.

Anterior communicating artery aneurysm related to visual symptoms.

Objective: Intracranial aneurysms are sometimes presented with visual symptoms by their rupture or direct compression of the optic nerve. It is because their prevalent sites are anatomically located close to the optic pathway. Anterior communicating artery is especially located in close proximity to optic nerve.

Surgical complications of epilepsy surgery procedures : experience of 179 procedures in a single institute.

Objective: There are a few reports on the complications of surgery for epilepsy. We surveyed our data to present complications of epilepsy surgeries from the neurosurgeon's point of view and compare our results with other previous reports.

Methods: A total of 179 surgical procedures for intractable epilepsy (41 diagnostic, 138 therapeutic) were performed in 92 consecutive patients (10 adults, 82 children) during the last 9.

Results of long-term follow-up observations of blepharoptosis correction using the palmaris longus tendon.

Background: The frontalis sling procedure is a useful approach for correcting severe blepharoptosis. However, blepharoptosis often recurs after corrective surgery using the tensor fascia lata. Good results without recurrence after a modified Fox method were obtained using the palmaris longus tendon.

Saccular aneurysm of the azygos anterior cerebral artery: three case reports.

The azygos anterior cerebral artery, a rare anomaly in the circle of Willis in which only a single vessel supplies the medial aspects of both anterior cerebral hemispheres, is closely associated with saccular aneurysms. We present three cases of azygos anterior cerebral artery aneurysms among the 781 cerebral aneurysms surgically treated at our institution in an 11-year period. These three cases all involved elderly women who presented with subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Surgical management of massive cerebral infarction.

Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze the treatment results and prognostic factors in patients with massive cerebral infarction who underwent decompressive craniectomy.

Methods: From January 2000 to December 2005, we performed decompressive craniectomy in 24 patients with massive cerebral infarction. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records, radiological findings, initial clinical assessment using the Glasgow Coma Scale, serial computerized tomography (CT) with measurement of midline and septum pellucidum shift, and cerebral infarction territories.

Comparison of corpus callosotomy and vagus nerve stimulation in children with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.

Purpose: To compare the efficacy of corpus callosotomy and vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) for long-term adjunctive therapy in children with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS).

Method: Fourteen patients underwent a total corpus callosotomy and 10 patients received VNS implantation. The patients were monitored for more than 12 months after treatment, and seizure rates and complications were retrospectively evaluated.

Vagus nerve stimulation in intractable childhood epilepsy: a Korean multicenter experience.

We evaluated the long-term outcome of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) in 28 children with refractory epilepsy. Of these 28 children, 15 (53.6%) showed a >50% reduction in seizure frequency and 9 (32.

Surgical treatment of two patients with infantile spasms in early infancy.

Early surgery for catastrophic epilepsy may prevent developmental deterioration and minimize functional deficit resulting from the surgical procedure. We report two patients who had infantile spasms and underwent surgery for epilepsy in early infancy (younger than 6 months old). Magnetic resonance imaging showed cortical dysplasia in both patients.

Seroprevalence of hepatitis B virus among health care workers in Korea.

We studied the seroprevalence of HBsAg, anti-HBs and anti-HBc and the vaccination histories among health care workers (HCWs) at a large suburban referral hospital in Korea. The purpose of this study was to determine the immune status of HCWs against hepatitis B virus and we also wanted to prepare a practical guideline to protect HCWs from occupational exposure. During December, 2003, 571 HCWs (56 physicians, 289 nurses, 113 technicians and 113 aid-nurses) aged between 21 and 74 yr were included in the surveillance.

Clinical and electroencephalographic features of infantile spasms associated with malformations of cortical development.

The aim of this study was to reveal the clinical and encephalographic (EEG) features of infantile spasms (IS) with malformations of cortical development (MCDs). The clinical features, EEG findings, neuroimaging studies and outcomes of various therapeutic modalities for 27 patients with IS and MCDs were reviewed. Background activities of EEG on the MCDs, i.

Effects of methylprednisolone on the neural conduction of the motor evoked potentials in spinal cord injured rats.

Methylprednisolone(MP), a glucocorticoid steroid, has an anti-inflammatory action and seems to inhibit the formation of oxygen free radicals produced during lipid peroxidation in a spinal cord injury(SCI). However, the effects of MP on the functional recovery after a SCI is controversial. The present study was conducted to determine the effects of MP on the recovery of neural conduction following a SCI.

Ossified chronic subdural hematoma.

A relatively rare condition of ossified chronic subdural hematoma (SDH) mimicking cerebral stroke is presented. A 67-year-old man presented with headache, dysphasia, and left-sided hemiparesis. Routine skull x-ray showed a huge calcification extending from the frontal to the parietal regions in the right side.

Circumferential wrapping and clipping with temporalis fascia for treatment of unclippable intracranial aneurysms.

We utilized a clip-reinforced wrapping technique using temporalis fascia for treating unclippable aneurysms in 14 patients. Herein, we describe a modification of the clip- reinforced wrapping technique and report on the results. An appropriately sized strip of temporalis fascia is passed around the aneurysms with cuts made to accommodate perforating arteries.