OBJECTIVE: To perform a comparative study between two groups of populations, titanium (T) group versus stainless steel (S) group, who were clipped with titanium and stainless steel materials, respectively, the incidence of regrowth from the original aneurysms, the clip slippage, and post-clipping seizure attack were analyzed. The patients were followed more than 5 years after microsurgical cerebral aneurysms clipping. METHODS: Data from 1986 through 2008 were extensively reviewed on a consecutive series of 3,770 patients who referred for ruptured/unruptured cerebral aneurysms. Forty-seven patients in the S group and 48 in the T group who met inclusion criteria, were selected for this study. RESULTS: The incidence of regrowth were noted that two out of total 47 patients (4.3%) in the S group, and none in the T group. The clip slippage was not observed in both groups. And there was no statistical difference (p = 0.242) in terms of regrowth between two groups. Seven out of 47 cases (14.9%) developed post-clipping seizure in the S group. On the other hand, two (4.2%) of 48 patients presented the symptom in the T group. Also, there was no significant difference (p = 0.091) between two groups. CONCLUSIONS: The metallic types of clip employed for the microsurgical cerebral aneurysm clipping does not have any significant clinical outcome differences in this study.
Aneurysm ; Hand ; Humans ; Incidence ; Intracranial Aneurysm ; Seizures ; Stainless Steel ; Titanium

PURPOSE: To determine computed tomography (CT) criteria for cardiomegaly. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed posteroanterior chest radiographs and CT scans of 200 patients (M:F=130:70, mean age 49 years old) that were performed on the same day. On plain radiographs, the cardiothoracic ratio (R) was calculated using a standard method. On CT, we measured the maximal cardiac width (D(c)) and the maximal thoracic width of a patient (D(t1)). A second thoracic width was measured at the same scan level of D(c). Thus, two cardiothoracic ratios were derived in one patient-D(c)/D(t1) (R(1)) and D(c)/D(t2) (R(2)). We analyzed the appropriateness of R(1) and R(2) in the diagnosis of cardiomegaly to establish criteria for the use of the cardiothoracic ratio (ROC curve). RESULTS: When cardiomegaly was defined as a value of R that was greater than 0.5, both R(1) and R(2) were useful indicators of cardiomegaly. For a cut-off value of 0.5 for the cardiothoracic ratio for cardiomegaly, the sensitivity of R(1) and R(2) was 84% and 68%, respectively, and the specificity of R(1) and R(2) was 72% and 86%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The cardiothoracic ratio on CT can be easily obtained by measurement of the maximal cardiac width divided by the maximal thoracic width at the same scan level. When the cardiothoracic ratio on CT is over 0.5, the presence of cardiomegaly can be suggested.
Cardiomegaly* ; Diagnosis ; Heart ; Humans ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to assess the risk of hemorrhage from coexisting unsecured, unruptured aneurysms during hypervolemic hypertensive therapy after treatment for ruptured aneurysms in patients with multiple intracranial aneurysms. METHODS: From 1995 to 2004, the authors treated 1052 patients of ruptured and unruptured aneurysms, in which 201 patients had multiple aneurysms. Of the 201 patients, 45 patients had unsecured, unruptured aneurysms after the initial treatment of ruptured aneurysms. We performed retrospective analysis for these 45 patients' data including the characteristics of unsecured, unruptured aneurysms at risk, hemodynamic parameters and duration of hypervolemic hypertensive therapy. RESULTS: The total number of aneurysms for the 45 patients was 103, where 53 aneurysms were secured at the acute period of post-subarachnoid hemorrhage. Twenty nine out of 45 patients with unsecured, unruptured aneurysms after treatment of ruptured aneurysms had been managed with hypervolemic hypertensive therapy for symptomatic cerebral vasospasm. These 29 patients harbored 30 aneurysms. In 29 patients with hypervolemic hypertensive therapy, the mean systolic blood pressure was 181.4+/-20.7 mm Hg, the mean central venous pressure 12.5+/-2.2 mm Hg, and the mean duration of hypervolemic hypertensive therapy was 10.2+/-5.1 days. There was no hemorrhage from the 50 unsecured, unruptured aneurysms in all 45 patients with or without hypervolemic hypertensive therapy. CONCLUSION: It is presumed that the advantage of hypervolemic hypertensive therapy in the patients with symptomatic vasospasm after surgery of ruptured aneurysms endorses its use, even in the presence of unsecured, unruptured aneurysms in patients with multiple aneurysms.
Aneurysm* ; Aneurysm, Ruptured ; Blood Pressure ; Central Venous Pressure ; Hemodynamics ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Intracranial Aneurysm* ; Retrospective Studies ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage ; Vasospasm, Intracranial

BACKGORUND/AIMS: Endoscopic choledochoduodenal fistulotomy(fistulotomy), using a needle-knife sphin-cterotome as an alternative to failed duct cannulation and subsequent endoscopic drainage in patients with ampullary cancer, can be performed in patients with a suprapapillary bulged or distorted papilla. The purpose of this prospective sutdy was to evaluate the safety and clinical usefulness of endoscopic fistulotomy in patients with ampullary cancer. METHODS: Of the 29 patients with ampullary cancer requiring biliary drainage, 13 patients with a suprapapillary bulged papilla underwent fistulotomy either alone or followed by an upward extension of the fistulous orifice using a standard sphincterotome (fistulotomy group). Of the remaing 16 patients, transpapillary biliary stenting was successful in 13 patients (biliary stenting group). In both group, the rate of successful bile duct cannulation and effective biliary drainage were assessed and compared. RESULTS: Bile duct cannulation was successful in 92.3% of the patients in the fistulotomy group and 81.3% of patients in the biliary stenting group, and the only complications were mild bleeding in 1 patient (7.7%) and cholangitis in 1 patient(6.3%). The success rate for initial biliary drainage with the fistulotomy or transpapillary stenting were 100% and 84.6%, respectively. Of the 12 patients in whom biliary drainage was used as the definite treatment, the symptom-free duration was 3.2 months in 6 patients of the fistulotomy group and 3.9 months in 6 patients in the biliary stenting group. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic fistulotomy is safe and effective for both preoperative and palliative biliary decompression in patients with ampullary cancer and it is suggested that the procedure can be applied primarily to increase the success rate of biliary access and subsequent biliary drainage especially in patients with a bulged papilla.
Bile Ducts ; Catheterization ; Cholangitis ; Decompression ; Drainage ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Prospective Studies ; Stents

Meningeal carcinomatosis in patients with prostate cancer is very rare. Recently, we experienced a case of meningeal carcinomatosis in a patient with prostate cancer. He had undergone a radical prostatectomy 11 years before presentation and had undergone chemotherapy 4 years before presentation due to bone metastases. This time, he visited the emergency department because of a seizure. Although cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examinations did not reveal malignant cells, we diagnosed meningeal carcinomatosis based on positive CSF prostate-specific antigen and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings. The diagnosis was confirmed pathologically. We treated the patient with whole brain radiotherapy and intrathecal chemotherapy. We report a case of prostate cancer with meningeal carcinomatosis with a literature review.
Brain ; Emergencies ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Meningeal Carcinomatosis ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prostate ; Prostate-Specific Antigen ; Prostatectomy ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; Seizures

Rosai-Dorfman disease or sinus histiocytosis with massive lymphadenopathy (SMHL) is a benign histiocytic proliferative disorder of unknown etiology. It is accompanied by fever, leukocytosis, elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate and polyclonal hypergammaglobulinemia. Histopathologic examinations showed characteristic large histiocytes exhibiting emperipolesis. On immunohistochemical stains, histiocytes are positive for CD68 and S-100 protein, but negative for CD1a. The lymph node involvement is typical, but it may also involve other systemic organs in one third of cases such as skin, upper respiratory tract, bone and so on. Patients with purely cutaneous Rosai-Dorfman disease are of older age at onset of the disease with a reversed male/female ratio, so cutaneous Rosai-Dorfman disease is recognized as a distinct entity from Rosai-Dorfman disease. We present a 48-year-old woman with an asymptomatic erythematous indurated plaque with yellowish papules on her left cheek and erythematous papules on her left infraorbital area, diagnosed as cutaneous Rosai-Dorfman disease at first. But 3 months later, she developed a palpable lymph node on her left submandibular area. She responded to high-dose hydroxychloroquine treatment.
Blood Sedimentation ; Cheek ; Coloring Agents ; Emperipolesis ; Female ; Fever ; Histiocytes ; Histiocytosis, Sinus* ; Humans ; Hydroxychloroquine* ; Hypergammaglobulinemia ; Leukocytosis ; Lymph Nodes ; Middle Aged ; Respiratory System ; S100 Proteins ; Skin

OBJECTIVE: To compare transverse abdominis (TrA) contractility in stroke patients with hemiparesis and healthy adults using musculoskeletal ultrasonography. METHODS: Forty-seven stroke patients with hemiparesis and 25 age-matched healthy control subjects participated in this study. Stroke patients were divided into three groups on the basis of their degree of ambulation. Group A consisted of 9 patients with wheelchair ambulation, group B of 23 patients with assisted ambulation, and group C of 15 patients with independent ambulation. Inter-rater reliability regarding ultrasonographic measurement of abdominal muscle thickness in the control group was assessed by two examiners. The TrA contraction ratio (TrA contracted thickness/TrA resting thickness) was measured during abdominal drawing-in maneuver and was compared between the patients and the control group and between the ambulation groups. RESULTS: The inter-rater reliability ranged from 0.900 to 0.947. The TrA contraction ratio was higher in the non-paretic side than in the paretic side (1.40+/-0.62 vs. 1.14+/-0.35, p<0.01). The TrA contraction ratio of the patient group was lower in the non-paretic side as well as in the paretic side than that of the control group (right 1.85+/-0.29, left 1.92+/-0.42; p<0.001). No difference was found between the ambulation regarding the TrA contraction ratio. CONCLUSION: The TrA contractility in hemiparetic stroke patients is significantly decreased in the non-paretic side as well as in the paretic side compared with that of healthy adults. Ultrasonographic measurement can be clinically used in the evaluation of deep abdominal muscles in stroke patients.
Abdominal Muscles ; Adult ; Humans ; Muscle Contraction ; Paresis ; Stroke* ; Ultrasonography ; Walking ; Wheelchairs

Objective: To compare short-term treatment outcomes at hospital discharge and hospital length of stay (LOS) in patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH) before and after introduction of resident physician work time limit (WTL). Methods: We retrospectively reviewed consecutive patients treated for sICH at our institution between 2016 and 2019. Then we dichotomized these patients into two groups, pre-WTL and post-WTL. We analyzed demographic elements and clinical features, and hospital length of stay (LOS). We evaluated short-term outcome using modified Rankin scale score at hospital discharge and then divided it into “good” and “poor” outcome groups. We subsequently, compared short-term treatment outcome and hospital LOS between the pre-WTL and post-WTL groups. Results: Out of 779 patients, 420 patients (53.9%) were included in the pre-WTL group, and 359 (46.1%) in post-WTL. The mortality rate in sICH patients was higher in the post-WTL group (pre-WTL; 13.6% vs. post-WTL; 17.3%), but there was no statistically significant difference in short-term outcome including mortality (p=0.332) between the groups. The LOS also, was not significantly different between the two groups (pre-WTL; 19.0 days vs. post-WTL; 20.2 days) (p=0.341). The initial Glasgow Coma Scale score, personal stroke history, and mean age were the only independent outcome predicting factors for patients with sICH. Conclusions Some neurosurgeons may expect poorer outcome for sICH after implementation of the WTL of the K-MHW for resident physician however, enforcement of the WTL did not significantly influence the short-term outcome and hospital LOS for sICH in our hospital. Further well-designed multi-institutional prospective studies on the effects of WTL in sICH patient outcome, are anticipated.

Objective: We aimed to identify the relation between perioperative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) drain through lumbar drainage (LD) and development of postoperative (POP) remote intracerebral hemorrhage (rICH) in craniotomy to treat ruptured intracranial aneurysms. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed consecutive patients who underwent craniotomy for ruptured cerebral aneurysms at the authors’ institution between 1998 and 2004. We subsequently compared the incidence and characteristics of POP rICH between the patients who had a perioperative LD and those who did not. All statistical analyses were conducted using the software package SPSS 19.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). A p value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: We enrolled 688 patients, of which 80 patients (11.6%) received perioperative LD, and 608 did not. LD and non-LD groups were comparable because although clinical characteristics of the two groups were significantly different considering history of hypertension, timing of surgery, and closed system negative pressure suction drain (SD) placement, none of these three variables was an independent risk factor associated with POP rICH in multivariate analysis. POP rICH incidence was significantly higher in the LD goup (12.5%) than non-LD group (0.8%) (p=0.000) in univariate analysis. LD placement was the only independent risk factor associated with the development of rICH in multivariate logistic regression analysis. Conclusions POP rICH incidence was significantly higher in patients who were managed with perioperative LD than in those who did not. LD insertion in craniotomy for ruptured intracranial aneurysm, should be closely monitored to address the occurrence of POP rICH.

There are diverse ring-like narrowings in the lower esophagus: mucosal ring, muscular ring, ring-like annular peptic stricture. Esophageal muscular ring is extremely rare and generally asymptomatic. It occurs at the proximal border of the esophageal vestibule that corresponds to the upper end of the lower esophageal sphincter. We experienced a case of lower esophageal muscular ring with a symptom of intermittent mild dysphagia for 40 years and report the findings with a review of the literature.
Aged ; Deglutition Disorders/*etiology ; Esophageal Stenosis/complications/*diagnosis ; *Esophagogastric Junction ; Humans ; Male