No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Fatigue* ; Sciatica*

No abstract available.
Humans

The following is our report a series of 220 patients who visited the neurosurgical out-patient department from January 1994 to June 1994 complaining of low back pain. We investigated how they were treated and what was the outcome on December 1995. Three certified neurosurgeons had managed these patients. Although the patients were not significantly different in terms of age, sex, and the duration of pain, the diagnostic methods(p<0.005), impression(p<0.01), and the methods of treatment(p<0.01) differred from doctor to doctor. The rates of admission and operation were 11.8% and 7.3%, respectively, and found to be consistent among doctors. We conducted telephonic interviews of 123 patients during December 1995 with the following outcome : improved in 69.1%, unchanged in 22.0%, and aggravated in 4.1%, together with six(4.9%) deaths. The cause of death was cancer in four cases, respiratory failure in one, and unknown in one. Sixteen patients underwent surgery in this hospital, while the other 12 patients were operated on in other hospitals. The outcome was favorable when 1) the patients were female, 2) the age was 21-40 years old, 3) presence of sciatica, 4) the duration was 1 week to 3 months, 5) the diagnostic impression was herniated lumbar disc, 6) drugs were not prescribed, and finally 7) managed by senior doctor. However, these differences were statistically not significant(p>0.1). Although low back pain is a very common complaint, there was enormous ambiguity with respect to its diagnosis and management. Neverthless, the outcomes were not significantly different. Despite the above, we still feel that low back pains should be more systematically classified and precisely dignosed. Also the therapeutic efficacies of different modalities of treatment should be critically reviewed.
Cause of Death ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Low Back Pain* ; Outpatients* ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Sciatica

Acute subdural hematoma (ASDH), chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) and subdural hygroma (SDG) occur in the subdural space, usually after trauma. We tried to find a certain relationship among these three traumatic subdural lesions in 436 consecutive patients. We included all subdural lesions regardless of whether they were main or not. We evaluated the distribution, age incidence and interval from injury to diagnosis of these lesions, and the frequency of new subdural lesions in each lesion. ASDH constituted 68.6%, SDG 15.8%, and CSDH 15.6%, Age incidence of CSDH was similar to that of SDG, but differed from that of ASDH. Mean interval from injury to diagnosis was 0.4 days in ASDH, 13.4 days in SDG, and 51.6 days in CSDH. Focal brain injuries accompanied in 37.5% of ASDH, 5.8% of SDG, and no CSDH. In ASDH, 2 recurrent ASDHs, 17 SDGs and 9 CSDHs occurred. In SDG, 3 postoperative ASDHs and 8 CSDHs occurred. In CSDH, 2 postoperative ASDHs, 2 SDGs and 1 CSDH occurred. These results suggest that the origin of CSDH is not only ASDH, but also SDG in upto a half of cases. SDG is produced as an epiphenomenon by separation of the dural border cell layer when the potential subdural space is sufficient. A half of CSDHs may originate from ASDHs. ASDH may occur in CSDH by either a repeated trauma or surgery. Such transformation or development of new lesions is a function of a premorbid condition and the dynamics between the absorption capacity and expansile force of the lesion.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Brain Injuries/complications/pathology ; Child ; Female ; Glasgow Coma Scale ; Hematoma, Subdural/etiology/*pathology/therapy ; Human ; Male ; Middle Age ; Subdural Space/*pathology ; Tomography Scanners, X-Ray Computed

It is never easy to assess the rate of disability from spinal injuries objectively. One reason is that the pain is an unmeasurable subjective symptom, and the other is that the disability is usually not confirmed by or correlated with radiological or laboratory examinations. The disability is an essentially subjective inconvenience or limitation, which is hard to measure objectively. However, compensation or reparation requires a scale to measure this unmeasurable disability, even with a universal validity and equity. There are several guidelines or criteria for a quantitative assessment of the disability. They differ from each other and have their own advantages and disadvantages. This difference may cause confusion or inequity. To improve the validity and equity, we propose a new design for the disability evaluation in patients with spinal injuries. We reviewed the Korean law for compensation in industrial accidents, McBride's disability table, the guideline proposed by American Medical Association, and a impairment rating table. Disabilities resulting from spinal injuries were classified into three types, i.e., morphologic sequelae(deformity), functional sequelae(dysfunction), and others. Only objective findings were considered as criteria for rating the disability. Disability resulting from deformity were rated from 0 to 20% by the degree of compression. Dysfunction can be rated by the number of lost motion segment from 10 to 60%. Disability from other compensable spinal pain were rated by objective physical findings or neurologic deficit from 0 to 25%. By eliminating the subjective or intentional complaints, this design can be a useful method minimizing the differences from the multiple examiners.
Accidents, Occupational ; American Medical Association ; Compensation and Redress ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Disability Evaluation ; Humans ; Jurisprudence ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Spinal Injuries*

A giant aneurysmal cerebral arteriovenous malformation in the left parieto-occipital region is described in a 4 year old child, including resolution of the alternating hemiparesis and left ventricular hypertrophy of the heart following successful removal of the malformation by microsurgical technique. This arteriovenous malformation has a large aneurysmal sac, 6x5x4cm, in size with several feeders from branches of the left middle and posterior cerebral arteries and drains directly into the straight sinus. So we have proposed to call it "a giant aneurysmal cerebral arteriovenous malformation".
Aneurysm* ; Arteriovenous Malformations ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Heart ; Humans ; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular ; Intracranial Arteriovenous Malformations* ; Paresis ; Posterior Cerebral Artery

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to review our experience with spontaneous thalamic hemorrhage. Clinical outcome of patients was brought about by comparing stereotactic aspiration and conservative medical therapy. METHODS: The study consists of seventy-three cases with spontaneous thalamic hemorrhage which were treated from the period of Jan. 1993 to Dec. 1999. Thirty-eighty patients were treated with computed tomography (CT) guided stereotactic aspiration and thirty-five patients were treated conservatively. We compared the factors affecting treatment and the factors are as follows: age and sex, conscious level on admission, hematoma volume, hematoma sites, presence of ventricular penetration. RESULTS: The results in the thirty eight stereotactic aspirated cases for the 6 months from oneset are as follows: good recovery or moderate disability in 43%, severe disability in 32%, vegitative state in 11%, dead in 13% respectively. The clinical result was more favorable in stereotactic aspiration, with 11-30cc hematoma volume, extend to internal capsule of hematoma, poor conscious level on admission than conservative medical therapy. But age and sex, conscious level on admission, presence of ventricular penetration were not influential in the statistical outcome between stereotactic aspiration and conservative medical therapy. CONCLUSION: Treatment modality of spontaneous thalamic hemorrhage is still controversial. But stereotactic aspiration is more recommended for improvement therapeutic results than conservative treatment or open craniotomy in case of 11-30cc hematoma volume, extend to internal capsule of hematoma and poor conscious level on admission.
Craniotomy ; Hematoma* ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Internal Capsule

No abstract available in English.
Animals ; Nicotine* ; Rats* ; Urinary Bladder

Two cases of iatrogenically induced false aneurysm of the superficial temporal artery are presented. One patient showed partially filled aneurysmal sac, 1x1 cm sized, on the main trunk of left superficial temporal artery by external carotid artery angiography. Another patient showed aneurysmal dilatation, 3x2 cm sized, of the superficial temporal artery with direct injection of Urograffin into the pulsatile mass. Aneurysm excision is indicated to reduce the risk of hemorrhage from the subsequent head trauma, to relieve headache, and for any cosmetic defect. The authors have reviewed the literature and discussed the incidence, classification, pathogenesis, clinical and angiographic diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and treatment.
Aneurysm ; Aneurysm, False* ; Angiography ; Carotid Artery, External ; Classification ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Dilatation ; Headache ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Incidence ; Temporal Arteries*