OBJECTIVE: Many researchers believe that the hypothermia shows neuroprotective effect on brain injury. To understand the molecular mechanism of the hypothermic treatment, this study investigated its effects on the expression of cell death or survival related proteins such as p53, Bcl-2 and Bax in the rat traumatic brain injury(TBI) model. METHODS: Twenty rats (Spraque Dawley, 200~250g) were subjected to the brain injury of moderate severity (2.4~2.6atm) using the fluid percussion injury device and five rats were received only same surgery as controls. During 30minutes after the brain injury, the hypothermia group was maintained the body temperature around 34 degrees C while the control group were maintained that of 36 degrees C. Five rats in each group were sacrificed 12h or 24h after brain injury and their brain sections was analyzed for physical damages by H-E stains and the extent of apoptosis by TUNEL assay and immunohistochemical stains. The tissue damage after TBI was mainly observed in the ipsilateral cortex and partly in the hippocampus. RESULTS: Apoptosis was observed by TUNEL assay and the Bax protein was detected in both sample which harvested 12h and 24h after TBI. In the hypothermia treatment group, tissue damage and apoptosis were reduced in HE stains and TUNEL assay. In hypothermia treatment group rat shows more expression of the Bcl-2 protein and shows less expression of the Bax protein, at both 12h and 24h after TBI. CONCLUSION: These results show that the hypothermia treatment is an effective treatment after TBI, by reducing the apoptotic process. Therefore, it could be suggested that hypothermia has a high therapeutic value for treating tissue damages after TBI.
Animals ; Apoptosis ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein ; Body Temperature ; Brain ; Brain Injuries* ; Cell Death ; Coloring Agents ; Hippocampus ; Hypothermia* ; In Situ Nick-End Labeling ; Neurons* ; Neuroprotective Agents ; Percussion ; Rats

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to characterize the Posterior Inferior Cerebellar Artery aneurysm distribution (location, age, sex, multiplicity and associated vascular anomalies), clinical presentation, neuroradiological findings and surgery outcome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From Jul. '96 to Jun. '99, the admission chart and radiologic study material of 24 cases of angiographically confirmed PICA aneurysm patients were reviewed, retrospectively. RESULTS: Mean age of the patients was 53.4 years (ranged from 24 to 75), and majority of these aneurysms occurred in females (20 of 24). 22 of 24 patients presented with subarachnoid hemorrhage. The most common subarachnoid hemorrhage observed at ambient cistern, crural cistern, and the forth ventricular hemorrhage. In 19 of 24 cases the aneurysm size was 5+/-2 mm, and 23 cases show saccular aneurysm. PICA aneurysm patients have many associated intracranial vascular diseases (multiple aneurysm: 5, arteriovenous malformation: 2, abnormal vasculature: 4) and concomitant medical diseases (diabetes mellitus and tuberosclerosis). Direct surgical approaches were attempted in 22 cases (lateral suboccipital approach: 10, far lateral approach: 8, midline suboccipital: 2, pre-sigmoidal and combined approach in each case) and the surgical result was acceptable (favorable outcome: 19, unfavorable: 5). CONCLUSIONS: Based on this study, the incidence of PICA aneurysm was 1.3% and shows female predominance. In 46%, intracranial vascular abnormality was associated. On brain CT examination, subarachnoid hemorrhage at peimesencephalic cistern and intraventricular hemorrhage at the forth ventricle were most frequent CT finding. In most surgical cases, lateral or farlateral suboccipital approach was a good surgical approach enough to reach the PICA aneurysm and the surgical result was acceptable.
Aneurysm* ; Arteries* ; Arteriovenous Malformations ; Brain ; Cerebrovascular Disorders ; Female ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Incidence ; Pica ; Retrospective Studies ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Venous aneurysm of the superior vena cava(SVC) is a rare congenital lesion and can be classified morphologically as either fusiform or saccular. Although there is a controversy with regard to the need for either conservative or surgical treatment, surgery is recommended for the saccular type as major complications of the aneurysm may occur. We report a case of saccular aneurysm of the SVC, treated by means of an endoluminal stent-graft.
Aneurysm* ; Vena Cava, Superior*

Venous aneurysm of the superior vena cava(SVC) is a rare congenital lesion and can be classified morphologically as either fusiform or saccular. Although there is a controversy with regard to the need for either conservative or surgical treatment, surgery is recommended for the saccular type as major complications of the aneurysm may occur. We report a case of saccular aneurysm of the SVC, treated by means of an endoluminal stent-graft.
Aneurysm* ; Vena Cava, Superior*

CSF shunting procedures are widely employed in the treatment of hydrocephalus and other disturbances of the dynamics of CSF such as a rachnoid cyst and syrinx. The relative simplicity of this operation with respect to other neurosurgical procedures is matched by a high incidence of complications. Many kinds of shunt devices have been developed to reduce complications. Yet, this operation frequently requires surgical revision. Traditional shunts were primarily designed to manage hydrocephalus by regulating intracranial pressure. Those devices, in some circumstances, can cause to underdrain or overdrain CSF and may need a surgical revision to adjust the pressure Authors have treated 28 patients with the disturbaces of CSF dynamics using pressuread justable valve system (Codman-Medos p rogrammable Hakim valve system). Two patients had arachnoid cysts and the others had hydrocephalus with various etiologies. Subdural hygroma was developed in 5 patients and underdrainage was observed in 9 patients on CT scan. By adjusting the pressure, Authors achieved clinical improvements without a need for surgical revision. The optimum pressure was 97.4+17.4mmHO for the patients with hydrocephalus with various etiologies in adults. In conclusion, the incidence of shunt revision by using this shunt device for the treatment of hydrocephalus and arachnoid cysts was decreased.
Adult ; Arachnoid Cysts ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus ; Incidence ; Intracranial Pressure ; Lymphangioma, Cystic ; Neurosurgical Procedures ; Reoperation ; Subdural Effusion ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt*

A 39-year-old woman developed Wernicke's encephalopathy in the sixteenth week of her pregnancy after eight weeks of severe nausea and vomiting. Because of her protracted severe vomiting, she had inpatient treatment with intravenous dextrose and electrolytes without thiamine. In her fourteenth week of pregnancy, she began showing neurologic symptoms such as dizziness, tinnitus, hearing impairment, nystagmus and ataxia. To rule out possibility of brain stem lesions, MRI of brain was performed. MRI showed tectal lesions as well as bilateral symm-etric midline lesions along the third ventricle and cerebral aqueduct. Further evaluate for these lesions, FLAIR(fluid-attenuated inversion-recovery) MR imaging was performed. Based on her clinical symptoms and FLAIR MR imaging, she was diagnosed as Wernicke's encephalopathy. Combined therapy with vitamin B1(50mg/day) and steroid(met-hylprednosolone 1g/day) was immediately started. Two days later, her neurologic symptoms improved. FLAIR imaging technique allows easier identification of specific periventricular distribution of the lesions. The preventive steroid therapy may have resulted in beneficial outcome on Wernicke's encephalopathy.
Adult ; Ataxia ; Brain ; Brain Stem ; Cerebral Aqueduct ; Dizziness ; Electrolytes ; Female ; Glucose ; Hearing Loss ; Humans ; Hyperemesis Gravidarum* ; Inpatients ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Nausea ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Pregnancy ; Thiamine ; Thiamine Deficiency ; Third Ventricle ; Tinnitus ; Vitamins ; Vomiting ; Wernicke Encephalopathy*

Tuberous sclerosis is a hereditary connective tissue disorder affecting multiple organs and is associated with a wide variety of abnormalities of the central nerve system. The symptoms vary according to the organ involved and may appear in later life. In connective tissue disorders, vascular anomalies are frequent, though cerebrovascular anomalies are extremely rare. We recently, encountered a case of posterior inferior cerebellar artery aneurysm associated with tuberous sclerosis. This report describes clinical and radiological details of this case and includes a brief review of the literature.
Aneurysm ; Arteries ; Connective Tissue ; Intracranial Aneurysm* ; Tuberous Sclerosis*

Fracture of the vertebral end plate in the lumbar spine has been reported as a rare lesion occurring in the adolescent period. It is characterized by variable degrees of sign and symtom related to the degree of block on myelogram and the level of end plate fracture. Trauma or strenuous sport activity seems to play an improtant role in the production of fracture of vertebral body in the adolescent period. We experienced three cases of fracture of lower lumbar vertebral end plate in teenaged patients, two males and one female. Two patients showed upper end plate fracture with severe neurologic deficit on the involved root level and a strong positive on straight leg raising test, and one patient showed lower end plate fracture with slight neurologic deficit. Two patients with upper end plate fracture were treated with partial laminectomy with removal of fracture fragment and one patient with lower end plate fracture was treated with bilateral laminectomy and posterolateral fusion. The method of treatment will depend upon the type of fracture and the degree of neurologic symptoms. We obtained satisfactory results with posterior decompressive laminectomy and removal of fracture fragment with or without fusion.
Adolescent ; Female ; Humans ; Laminectomy ; Leg ; Male ; Methods ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Spine ; Sports

No abstract available.
Acetabulum*

Controlled hypotension and temporary clip of feeding artery are used to reduce bleeding and to facilitate the neurosurgical operations, especially in intracranial aneurysm surgery, but the microvasculature of acute ischemic brain from impaired blood flow is quite susceptible to decrease in blood pressure and blood volume. The reversibility of brain damage following an ischemic brain lesion depends on the amount of regional cerebral flow as well as the severity of ischemia. The present study was designed to elucidate the effect of controlled hypotension on cerebral blood flow, cerebrovascular resistance, and pathological changes in acute ischemic brain lesion. Cerebral ischemia was induced in cats by middle cerebral artery occlusion for 6 hours through the transorbital approach. Forty-nine cats were divided into 3 groups, namely control group with mean blood pressure maintained at normal after right middle cerebral artery occlusion, hemorrhagic hypotension group with mean blood pressure decreased to 80, 60, and 40mmHg by with drawing of blood after right middle cerebral artery occlusion and drug-induced hypotension group with mean blood pressure decreased to 80, 60, and 40mmHg with arfonad infusion after right middle cerebral artery occlusion. Regional cerebral blood flow was measured by the hydrogen clearance method following middle cerebral artery clipping and gradual decreasing mean blood pressure. Cerebrovascular resistance was calculated after regional cerebral blood flow was measured and size of infarct were examined in each groups after the experiment was completed. Results were as follows : 1) In control group, regional cerebral blood flow and cerebrovascular resistance of the right parietal area with mean blood pressure maintained at normal after right middle cerebral artery occlusion were 19.4+/-2.1ml/2.1ml/100g/min and 5.5+/-0.4mmHg/ml/100g/min. The size of cerebral infarct was minimal in 71% of the control group. 2) In hemorrhagic hypotension group, regional cerebral blood flow of the right parietal area with mean blood pressure decreased to 80, 60, and 40mmHg was 17.6+/-1.5, 15.4+/-3.8, 7.8+/-2.9ml/100g/min respectively, thus 6, 25, and 57% lower than the control group. Cerebrovascular resistance of the right parietal area with mean blood pressure. With mean blood pressure reduced to 40mmHg, the cerebrovascular resistance drastically increased to 5.1+/-0.5mmHg/ml/100g/min. When mean blood pressure was reduced to 60 and 40mmHg, the size of infarct was marked in 57 and 85% of the hemorrhagic hypotension group. 3) In drug-induced hypotension group, regional cerebral blood flow of the right parietal area with mean blood pressure reduced to 80, 60, and 40mmHg was 19.1+/-2.3, 17.8+/-3.1, and 7.4+/-2.7ml/100g/min respectively, thus 2, 10, and 38% lower than the control group. the regional cerebral blood flow of the right parietal area in the drug-induced hypotension group was slightly higher than the hemorrhagic hypotension group when mean blood pressure was reduced to 80 or 60mmHg, while there was no significant difference of regional cerebral blood flow in the both groups when mean blood pressure was reduced to 40mmHg. Cerebrovascular resistance of the right parietal area with mean blood pressure at 80 and 60mmHg was 4.1+/-0.3 and 3.1+/-0.2mmHg/ml/100g/min respectively, thus showing a gradual decrease in relation to decreasing mean blood pressure. With mean blood pressure reduced to 40mmHg, the cerebrovascular resistance was 5.6+/-0.9mmHg/ml/100g/min, thus higher than the hemorrhagic hypotension group. When mean blood pressure was decreased to 60 and 40mmHg, the size of infarct was marked in 42 and 85% of the drug-induced hypotension group. The extent of cerebral infarct was more extensive in the hemorrhagic hypotension group than in the drug-induced hypotension group. 4) In the contralateral hemisphere of the infarct, there was no change in regional cerebral blood flow when the mean blood pressure was decreased to 80 and 60mmHg but when the mean blood pressure decreased to 40mmHg, the regional cerebral blood flow was markedly reduced in all groups. When the mean blood pressure decreased to 60mmHg there was no change in cerebrovascular resistance, however when the mean blood pressure was at 40mmHg, there was a drastic increase in cerebrovascular resistance in all groups. Due to to loss of autoregulation in the ischemic brain lesion, the regional cerebral blood flow depends on the brain perfusion and accordingly when there is ischemic brain lesion, the hemorrhagic hypotension produces serious brain infarction and edema than drug-induced hypotension.
Animals ; Arteries ; Blood Pressure ; Blood Volume ; Brain Infarction ; Brain Ischemia ; Brain* ; Cats ; Edema ; Hemorrhage ; Homeostasis ; Hydrogen ; Hypotension ; Hypotension, Controlled* ; Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery ; Intracranial Aneurysm ; Ischemia ; Microvessels ; Middle Cerebral Artery ; Perfusion ; Rabeprazole