BACKGROUND: Recent advances in stroke therapies require patients to be treated very early after the onset of symptoms. To reduce the delay in time upon stroke and arriving at the hospital, we assessed the time delay, stroke recognition, and awareness before and after a public education program designed to increase recognition and awareness. METHODS: Prospective standardized and structured interviews were performed in 155 patients with ischemic stroke who were admitted to the Severance hospital before and after the public education program. The educational program included local newspaper articles, distribution of pamphlets, and lectures to 119 emergency care teams. Time delay, variable factors, stroke recognition, and stroke awareness of patients were then assessed (75 pre-education and 80 post-education groups). RESULTS: 52% of the pre-education group and 52.5% of the post-education group arrived at the hospital within 24 hours. Those who arrived within 3 hours were only 21.3% and 15% respectively. A direct visit to the hospital and a cardioembolic infarction appeared to be associated with a shorter time delay. About half of the patients recognized their symptoms as a stroke before a diagnosis was made by a doctor. Most of them had known that a stroke should be treated urgently. However, the stroke recognition and awareness was not associated with an early arrival, which suggests that their knowledge was not solid. The efforts to inform the public using local newspaper articles and pamphlets geared towards the local residents for the limited time period was not effective in shortening arrival times. CONCLUSIONS: Many of the stroke patients did not arrive within the therapeutic time window. Our findings suggest that extensive and multi-directional campaigns should be performed to reduce the time delay. Our findings also suggest that educational aims should include the need for the rapid treatment of stroke and a therapeutic time window as well as stroke recognition.
Cerebral Infarction ; Cerebrovascular Disorders ; Diagnosis ; Education ; Emergency Medical Services ; Humans ; Infarction ; Lectures ; Periodicals ; Pamphlets ; Prospective Studies ; Stroke*

We performed a percutaneous vertebroplasty at the compressed L2 vertebral body of a 73-year-old female using a left-sided unilateral extrapedicular approach. She complained severe radiating pain and a tingling sensation in her left leg two hours after the vertebroplasty. Spinal computed tomographic scan showed a large retroperitoneal hematoma, and a subsequent spinal angiography revealed a left L2 segmental artery injury. Bleeding was successfully controlled by endovascular embolization. Recently, extrapedicular approaches have been attempted, allowing for the avoidance of facet and pedicle injury with only a unilateral approach. With this approach, however, the needle punctures the vertebral body directly. Therefore, this procedure carries the potential risk of a spinal segmental artery.
Aged ; Angiography ; Arteries ; Female ; Fractures, Compression ; Hematoma ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Leg ; Needles ; Punctures ; Sensation ; Vascular System Injuries ; Vertebroplasty

The authors present the case of basilar artery bifurcation area aneurysm showing the growth of sac. A 46-year-old man was admitted for evaluation of fluctuating dysarthria. He had a history of lacunar infarction 3 years ago. The cerebral angiogram, taken at that time, showed a small aneurysm on basilar artery bifurcation area. Surgical intervention was not performed because of its small size. Brain MRI, taken for evaluation of dysarthria, showed large signal void at the basilar artery bifurcation area and following cerebral angiogram revealed the growth of previous aneurysm in its size. This observation suggests that careful follow-up examination should be performed for incidental small sized aneurysm.
Aneurysm* ; Basilar Artery* ; Brain ; Dysarthria ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Middle Aged ; Stroke, Lacunar

We report a very rare case of a rapidly calcified chronic epidural hematoma (EDH) in a neonate. A 26-day-old female infant was referred to us from a regional hospital because of drowsy mentality and a seizure attack. She was delivered through caesarian section because normal spontaneous vaginal delivery was prolonged and failed. At birth, mild scalp swelling was found on the right frontal area. Scalp swelling was spontaneously resolved and she was discharged without any problems. On the 25th day after her birth, the baby presented with drowsiness and hypotonia following a generalized tonic-clonic seizure. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and a computed tomography (CT) scan revealed a chronic EDH that had a thick layer of calcification. A small burr-hole trephination was performed and a single silastic drainage catheter was inserted. After the operation, a total of 12 ml of liquefied hematoma was drained, and the patient's mentality improved from drowsiness to alertness. The patient was asymptomatic when discharged.
Catheters ; Dimethylpolysiloxanes ; Drainage ; Female ; Hematoma ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Muscle Hypotonia ; Parturition ; Scalp ; Seizures ; Sleep Stages

OBJECTIVE: To study the safety and efficacy of using rectangular titanium cage(RABEA) for anterior cervical fusion, we have compared the results of fusion performed by using fibula allograft and RABEA cage. METHODS: Total of 74 patients with single level cervical discectomy were included in this study. Allogenic fibula bone graft alone was done in 38 patients and RABEA cage was inserted in 36 patients. Retrospective clinical analysis was based on review the symptoms and radiological findings on both two groups at postoperative 12 months. RESULTS: Solid fusion was achieved in 95% of patients who received rectangular titanium cage and 74% of patients who received fibula allograft. According to Odom's criteria, 92% of patients were found to have excellent or good results in the RABEA cage group and 68% of patients in allograft group. Functional outcome was assessed according to Odom's criteria and patient's postoperative satisfaction index(PSI). Better clinical outcome and solid fusion could be achieved by rectangular titanium cage fusion than allogenic fibula graft after single level anterior cervical discectomy. CONCLUSION: We believe that RABEA cage is an effective and safe cervical fusion substitute for single level cervical fusion after discectomy.
Allografts* ; Diskectomy* ; Fibula* ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Titanium* ; Transplants

Primary leptomeningeal malignant melanoma is rare entity. We present a case of primary leptomeningeal malignant melanoma of 66-year-old male, who had suffered severe headache, confusion, and right hemiparesis. The brain computed tomography and magnetic resonance image revealed a well enhancing mass with hemorrhage in the left fronto-parietal region. Total surgical removal of the lesion was performed without neurological deficit. He died at home 6 months after operation. Probably, it seems that the cause of death was poor general condition due to obtunded mentality or brain herniation due to increased intracranial pressure. The literature on this subject is briefly reviewed.
Aged ; Brain ; Cause of Death ; Headache ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Intracranial Pressure ; Male ; Melanoma* ; Paresis

Object : This study was conducted to evaluate the surgical results of the active treatment of unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIAs) and to suggest treatment indications. METHODS: Operations were performed on 49 patients with 52 UIAs between 1999 and 2005. Medical records and radiologic studies of the patients with UIAs were retrospectively reviewed. The clinical outcomes were evaluated in each patient by the modified Glasgow Outcome Scale (m-GOS) one month after operation. RESULTS: UIAs had a high frequency of a middle cerebral artery (MCA) and an internal carotid artery (ICA) aneurysm. Forty-four UIAs (84.6%) ranged between 5 mm to 15 mm in diameter. Fortysix UIAs were treated by clipping, 2 by wrapping, and coil embolization was used in 3 UIAs. In one patient, which had only one UIA, one procedure and one operation was performed. There was no surgical mortality. In most patients, surgical complications or neurological deteriorations were not found. In three patients, minor neurological deficits of ptosis (2 patients) and spinal subdural hematoma (1 patient) were newly developed after operation. However the patients completely recovered within 3 months after operation. Finally, the surgical mortality and morbidity rate was 0%. CONCLUSION: If the UIAs are larger than 5 mm in diameter and located in a susceptible area for rupture, surgical treatment should be considered for the UIAs. If operation is performed by an expert neurosurgeon, surgical clipping is one of the best treatment modalities with or without endovascular treatment.
Aneurysm ; Carotid Artery, Internal ; Embolization, Therapeutic ; Glasgow Outcome Scale ; Hematoma, Subdural, Spinal ; Humans ; Intracranial Aneurysm* ; Medical Records ; Middle Cerebral Artery ; Mortality ; Retrospective Studies ; Rupture ; Surgical Instruments

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to evaluate of the significance of intraoperative electrophysiologic monitoring and follow up electrophysiologic study at seven days after microvascular decompression(MVD) for hemifacial spasm(HFS). METHODS: Thirty nine patients with hemifacial spasm were included in this study and were treated with MVD of the facial nerve from Jun 1990 to May 2001. The patients were divided into a monitoring group and a non-monitoring group. We compared the surgical outcomes, operation related complications between two groups. The abnormal muscle response(AMR) of preoperative electromyographic recording appeared on the mentalis muscle during stimulation of the zygomatic branch of the facial nerve was compared with those of changed during operation, immediately after operation and at postoperative 7th day(POD 7). The relationship between degree of AMR disappearance and surgical outcome was analyzed. RESULTS: There was no difference in surgical outcomes but significant difference in the incidence of operation-related complications between two groups. The results of electrophysiologic study at POD 7 were significantly correlated with surgical outcome in the monitoring group. CONCLUSION: The electrophysiologic study is helpful for identifying the offenders, determining the adequacy of vascular decompression and decrease of operation-related complications. The clinical and electrophysiologic status of HFS after MVD has continuously changed, and therefore the results of eletrophysiologic study at POD 7 are useful for predicting the surgical outcome.
Criminals ; Decompression ; Electromyography* ; Facial Nerve ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Hemifacial Spasm* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Microvascular Decompression Surgery*

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the prognostic factors that influence the surgical outcomes of elderly patients older than 65 years old with an aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. METHODS: Ninety-two patients older than 65 years old, who were operated in our hospital between 1998 and 2005, were reviewed retrospectively. The clinical outcomes were evaluated using the modified Rankin Scale three months after surgery. RESULTS: The preoperative neurological status, such as the Hunt-Hess grade (p<0.001), World Federation of Neurological Surgeons (WFNS) grade (p<0.001), and the Fisher grade (p=0.001), was significantly associated with the surgical outcomes in this series. The vasospasm (0.016) and ventriculostomy (0.039) are factors influencing the surgical outcomes. However, the other factors including hypertension (0.831), smoking (0.228), accompanying disorder (0.706), size of aneurysms (0.177), location of aneurysms (0.755), shunt operation (0.356), and timing of surgery (0.194) had no influence on the surgical outcome. CONCLUSION: In elderly patients with intracranial aneurysms, the preoperative neurological status, vasospasm, and ventriculostomy are the most significant prognostic factors.
Aged* ; Aneurysm* ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Intracranial Aneurysm ; Retrospective Studies ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage* ; Ventriculostomy

Spinal subdural hematoma(SSDH) is rare disease. Furthermore, it rarely occurs as a complication of intracranial surgery. There are few case reports which describing SSDH after craniotomy. Although the exact pathogenetic mechanism is obscure, some investigators propose that downward migration of intracranial hematoma by the effect of gravity is one of the cause of SSDH, and which is commonly suggested. But others propose that cerebrospinal fluid(CSF) hypotension is an another possible mechanism. In this paper, we report two cases of SSDH after clipping of an aneurysmal neck.
Aneurysm ; Craniotomy ; Gravitation ; Hematoma ; Hematoma, Subdural, Spinal* ; Humans ; Hypotension ; Neck ; Rare Diseases ; Research Personnel