A 29-year-old man developed sudden dysarthria and right-sided weakness 3 days before admission to hospital. He was diagnosed with parotitis in the emergency room of Soonchunhyang University Gumi Hospital. The plasma levels of homocysteine were elevated (30.48 mg/dL). A brain magnetic resonance imaging scan revealed a high signal intensity lesion in the left paramedian pons and computed tomography angiography showed a marked narrowing of the mid-basilar artery. We report a rare case of spontaneous basilar artery dissection caused by a recent infection and hyperhomocysteinemia.
Adult ; Angiography ; Arteries ; Basilar Artery* ; Brain Stem Infarctions* ; Brain Stem* ; Brain* ; Dysarthria ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Gyeongsangbuk-do ; Homocysteine ; Humans ; Hyperhomocysteinemia* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Parotitis* ; Plasma ; Pons

No abstract available.
Aged* ; Female ; Humans

Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is an autoimmune vasculitic disorder of unknown origin. Systemic GCA causing cerebral infarction due to intracranial arteritis is rare. Early diagnosis and anti-inflammatory treatment of the GCA are necessary to prevent systemic involvement. A 66-year-old woman presented with dysarthria and left hemiparesis. A brain MRI showed ischemic lesions in the right temporoparietal area. We report a pathological case of GCA with clinical and neuroradiological evidence of cerebral infarction.
Aged ; Arteritis ; Brain ; Cerebral Infarction* ; Dysarthria ; Early Diagnosis ; Female ; Giant Cell Arteritis* ; Giant Cells* ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Paresis ; Pathology

BACKGROUND: Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is characterized by optic neuritis and longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis. Generally, the brain had been considered healthy in NMO patients, though recent studies have demonstrated that T2-weighted abnormalities may be observed in various brain regions. Logically, NMO brain lesions are localized at sites of high aquaporin-4 expression. CASE REPORT: A 68-year-old right-handed man with dysuria, weakness in the bilateral upper and lower limbs, and decreased sensation of the lower extremities, was diagnosed with neuromyelitis optica. The patient was gradually speaking less, was showing reduced interest in hobbies, and had undergone changes in character and behavior. An examination was performed using the Seoul Neuropsychological Screening Battery (SNSB), which revealed that the profile of frontal lobe dysfunctions was prominent as compared with other cognitive domains. The patient was treated with prednisolone and azathioprine for about 1 year without recurrence, and showed prognostic improvement according to further SNSB testing. CONCLUSIONS: Further studies are considered necessary in order to find the most effective medication regimen for improving cognitive functions in those accurately diagnosed with NMO, and to develop systematic treatment using even more diversified immune-related agents.
Aged ; Azathioprine ; Brain ; Dysuria ; Frontal Lobe* ; Hobbies ; Humans ; Logic ; Lower Extremity ; Mass Screening ; Myelitis, Transverse ; Neuromyelitis Optica* ; Optic Neuritis ; Prednisolone ; Recurrence ; Sensation ; Seoul

No abstract available.
Accidental Falls* ; Lower Extremity* ; Venous Thrombosis*

BACKGROUND: Posterior cortical atrophy (PCA) is characterized by slowly progressive early onset dementia with cortical visual dysfunction and disproportionate atrophy of the posterior cortex. CASE REPORT: A 55-year-old right-handed woman developed visuo-spatial impairments that progressed rapidly into cortical blindness over the following 3 months. Neuro-psychological evaluation revealed Gerstmann syndrome and severe constructional impairments with all components of Balint syndrome. However, her memory, insight, and judgment were preserved. Her brain MRI was normal. However, 18F fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography revealed a marked hypometabolism in the bilateral parieto-occipital region. CONCLUSIONS: Although rapid progression of visuo-spatial dysfunction without memory impairment occurred, we considered PCA as well.
Atrophy* ; Blindness, Cortical ; Brain ; Dementia ; Female ; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 ; Gerstmann Syndrome ; Humans ; Judgment ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Memory ; Middle Aged ; Passive Cutaneous Anaphylaxis ; Positron-Emission Tomography

Intestinal ischemia is divided into three categories, namely, acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI), chronic mesenteric ischemia (CMI), and colonic ischemia. AMI can result from arterial or venous thrombi, emboli, and vasoconstriction secondary to low-flow states. It is an urgent condition which can result in high mortality rate. The predominant causative factor of CMI is stenosis or occlusion of the mesenteric arterial circulation, and it is characterized by postprandial abdominal pain and weight loss. Surgery is the treatment of choice for intestinal ischemia. However, it has been recently reported that percutaneous transluminal angioplasty with stent placement and/or thrombolysis is an effective therapy in various types of mesenteric ischemia. We report six cases of mesenteric ischemia which were successfully treated by percutaneous angioplasty, and review the literature from South Korea.
Acute Disease ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; *Angioplasty, Balloon ; Chronic Disease ; Female ; Humans ; Intestines/*blood supply ; Ischemia/surgery/*therapy ; Male ; Mesenteric Artery, Superior ; Mesenteric Vascular Occlusion/surgery ; Middle Aged ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed