OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to assess the usefulness of three-dimensional computed tomography angiography (3D-CTA) as a postoperative follow-up examination after intracranial aneurysms have been clipped. METHODS: Between January 2002 and June 2005, 522 consecutive patients received treatment for intracranial aneurysms. A retrospective analysis of 310 patients with postoperative 3D-CTAs was performed to evaluate aneurysmal remnants and de novo aneurysms. This study was conducted in 271 patients with at least immediate and 6-month routine 3D-CTAs for postoperative clipped aneurysm and 39 patients with 3D-CTAs for clipped aneurysm before 2002 when there was no 3D-CTA in our hospital. RESULTS: Eight patients had abnormal CT angiographic findings. Aneurysm remnants were revealed in 4 patients and de novo aneurysms were discovered in 5 patients. Two patients were found at the postoperative 6-month 3D-CTA performed routinely. In 1 patient, the aneurysm was demonstrated on the way to the examination of syncope. In 2 patients, the author recommended 3D-CTA although there was no symptom because the patients had visited our institute long time ago (5.1, 4.5 years). Of the 8 patients, 2 remnants and 1 de novo aneurysm were treated by endovascular treatment. Three de novo aneurysms at the middle cerebral artery and 1 pericallosal artery aneurysm were treated by direct clipping because these aneurysms were not suitable for the endovascular treatment in point of anatomical configuration. One patient with both remnant and de novo aneurysm was treated conservatively. CONCLUSION: 3D-CTA is an available, non-invasive diagnostic tool for the postoperative follow-up examination of aneurysmal state in patients after clipping.
Aneurysm* ; Angiography* ; Arteries ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Humans ; Intracranial Aneurysm ; Middle Cerebral Artery ; Retrospective Studies ; Syncope

From November 1992 to October 1994, 71 patients with spondylolisthesis underwent transpedicular fixation and fusion using VSP system. Two groups of were studied, in order to compare comcomitant posterolateral and posterior lumbar interbody fusion with regard to operating time, blood loss, degree of reduction, fusion rate, clinical results, and complications. Results showed 31 good, 11 fair, and 3 poor in the posterolateral fusion group and 23 good, 1 fair, and 2 poor in the posterior lumbar interbody fusion group. Implant failure occurred in 2 patients and consisted of screw breakage. Posterior lumbar interbody fusion with internal fixation provides a highly successful method for maintaining interbody height and obtaining arthrodeis.
Humans ; Spondylolisthesis*

A 73-year-old man presented with progressive gait impairment. He exhibited slow, shuffling, and unstable gait. A formal neuropsychological evaluation revealed memory deficits with frontal dysfunction. Brain MRI revealed communicating hydrocephalus with an Evans' index of 0.27. After cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) removal by lumbar puncture, the patient exhibited a marked improvement in gait. A CSF tap test after careful clinical examination may need to be considered in the diagnosis of idiopathic hydrocephalus with an Evans' index of <0.3.
Aged ; Brain ; Cerebrospinal Fluid* ; Diagnosis ; Gait ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Memory Disorders ; Spinal Puncture

It is well known that developmental delay or arrest occurs before implantation in mamals, which have undergone in vitro culture. Recently, these phenomena are being attributed to oxygen free radicals, and successful cell culture are being obtained by lowering the oxygen environment of in vitro culture. This is due to the fact that the oxygen concentration in the fallopian tube is around 5%, which is lower than the room air 20% concentraition for in vitro culture. Superoxide dismutase(SOD), which are free radical scavenger, were added to early embryo mice culture and compared the free radical level at each stage of development with that of culture in which free radical scavenging agent was not added. The highest free radical level in control group observed in the late 2-cell stage and was markedly decreased if SOD added to culture media. Blastulation rate, hatching rate, and blastomere count as the parameters of embryo development was significantly increased in the experimental group. This study suggests the possibility of improvement in in-vitro embryo culture with media including free radical scavengers.
Animals ; Blastomeres ; Cell Culture Techniques ; Culture Media ; Embryonic Development ; Embryonic Structures* ; Fallopian Tubes ; Female ; Free Radical Scavengers ; Free Radicals ; Mice* ; Oxygen ; Pregnancy ; Superoxide Dismutase* ; Superoxides*

No abstract available.
Child* ; Humans ; Korea* ; Myocarditis* ; Rheumatic Fever*

Paragonimiasis is the infestation of lung flukes of the trematode genus Paragonimus. This disease is common in Asia, and the southern part of Korea has been known as one of the endemic areas of Paragonimiasis westermanii in Korea. Human infection is associated with specific dietary habits, such as eating freshwater crawfish or crabs. In a 6 1/2-year-old boy with pleural effusion and eosinophilia, paragonimiasis was diagnosed by skin test, serologic exam, and histologic identification of the parasites in a skin lesion. The same diagnosis was entertained in his elder sister with silent pleural effusion. We describe herewith these rare cases of paragonimiasis in two siblings who had a history of eating cooked freshwater crabs.
Humans

The neuropsychological consequences of ruptured intracranial aneurysms are being given increasing attention with the recent increase in survival by surgical repair of the aneurysms. The territory of anterior communicating artery(AcoA) seems to be particularly susceptible to neurobehavioral impairments. They include amnesia. Confabulation, and personality change. The neurobehavioral changes have been collectively referred to as the "AcoA syndrome". The study of amnesia and confabulation was extensive for several decades, but the personality change after anterior communicating artery aneurysm rupture seems to have been given less attention. The present study used the MMPI to assess the personalities of 15 AcoA aneurysmal patients and a control group of 19 patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage from aneurysms located at other sites. Overall, AcoA patients showed no remarkable differences in personality in comparison with the control group. However, 5 patients with abnormal MMPI profiles that have abnormally incre ased depression subscale score and an associated increased scores on psychopathic deviance, hysteria, psychasthenia and schizophrenia subscales were detected by cluster analysis, and 4 of them had causable focal lesions such as basal forebrain, ventromedial frontal lobe, and medial frontal lobes about interhemispheric fissure on brain CT. Also, a group with the worst initial clinical state, Hunt and Hess grade IV, developed more personality impairment than the group with Hunt and Hess grade I-II-III regardless of the aneurysmal location. They showed increased scores on depression, psychopathic deviance and schizophrenia subscales.
Amnesia ; Aneurysm* ; Arteries* ; Brain ; Depression ; Frontal Lobe ; Humans ; Hysteria ; Intracranial Aneurysm ; MMPI ; Prosencephalon ; Rupture ; Schizophrenia ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Chronic idiopathic inflamatory bowel disease, espcaially Crohn's disease, is frequently complicated with low gastrointestinal stricture. Besides medical treatment of active inflammation, there is no specific, conservative approach to this complication, Repetitive surgery with extensive resections, leading to short bowel syndrome, is often necessary. Balloons have been used for a variety of gastrointestinal stenoses including esophageal, small intestinal, and colonic stricture. Balloon dilation offers many theoretical advantages (safety, and patient comfort) over dilation with bougies. Especially, the availability of large diameter balloon dilators, which pass through the biopsy channel of standard endoscopes (through-the scope balloon or TTS balloon), has promised efficient direct-vision dilatation of strictures without the need of guide wires or fluoroscope. We report a case of colonic Crohn's stricture dilated successfully using TTS balloon catheter.
Biopsy ; Catheters ; Colon* ; Constriction, Pathologic* ; Crohn Disease ; Dilatation ; Endoscopes ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Short Bowel Syndrome