No abstract available.
Ataxia ; Infarction* ; Internal Capsule ; Stroke

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

Neurological deficits commonly associated with anterior choroidal artery infarction (AChAI) include hemiplegia, hemisensory loss, and homonymous hemianopsia, while neuropsychological and perceptual deficits are uncommon. Prominent cognitive function impairment has rarely been reported. Here, we report a case of AChAI with prominent cognitive function impairment without motor deterioration. In contrast to the typical clinical features of AChAI, near complete and rapid motor recovery was observed, while cognitive impairment persisted despite rehabilitation therapy.
Cerebral Infarction* ; Hemianopsia ; Hemiplegia ; Internal Capsule ; Rehabilitation

An AVM located in or adjacent to the sylvian fissure is one of the most difficult to remove because it is surrounded by critical structures such as the basal ganglia and internal capsule and it involves the middle cerebral artery. We have operated on 6 cases of arteriovenous malformation(AVM) in and around the sylvian fissure. We describe the characteristic features of these AVMs from the anatomical and surgical points of view. The surgical results were satisfactory in 5 cases, and 1 patients died.
Arteriovenous Malformations ; Basal Ganglia ; Humans ; Internal Capsule ; Middle Cerebral Artery

PURPOSE: It has been known that there are several areas of T2 hyperintensities in normal white matter of brain, such as terminal zones of myelination, ependymitis granularis, ones of posterior internal capsule, and perivascular space. The aim of our study is to demonstrate another region of T2 hyperintensities in normal pediatric age group. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We have studied brain MR for 10 normal volunteers and 35 patients without having intracranial lesions in pediatric age group(3-19 years). RESULTS: In 5 among 45 cases, focal T2 hyperintensities were seen in the parietal periventricular white matter beneath the postcentral gyri. They were noted as poorly defined, 5--10mm sized areas of increased signal intensities on T2 weighted axial images. They were also characterized by bilateral, posteromedially oriented, short band-like or oval areas. Interestingly, they were directly continuous with the T2 hyperintensity of posterior internal capsule. In spite of the relatively high frequency in the pediatric population as in our study, this finding has not been reported in the asymptomatic adults. CONCLUSION: The results show that the bilateral anterior parietal hyperintense areas may be another terminal zones of delayed myelination affecting the parietopontine tract. They should be differentiated from pathologic T2 hyperintensities by their characteristic findings.
Adult ; Brain ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Internal Capsule ; Myelin Sheath ; Rabeprazole*

BACKGROUND: One of the characteristics of hypoglycemic encephalopathy (HE) is selective vulnerability of different brain regions. CASE REPORT: We observed a patient with unilateral HE affecting the right internal capsule and the subcortical white matter. The patient had a preexisting stroke in the opposite hemisphere. The hemisphere that was affected by HE exhibited greater regional blood flow (single positron-emission tomography) and higher fractional anisotropy (diffusion-tensor imaging) than the unaffected hemisphere. CONCLUSIONS: This case suggests that the degree of metabolism required to maintain the function of brain structures and neuronal integrity is an important factor determining the selective vulnerability in HE.
Anisotropy ; Brain ; Humans ; Internal Capsule ; Neurons ; Regional Blood Flow ; Stroke

The brain grows with age in non-human primates (NHPs). Therefore, atlas-based stereotactic coordinates cannot be used directly to target subcortical structures if the size of the animal's brain differs from that used in the stereotactic atlas. Furthermore, growth is non-uniform across different cortical regions, making it difficult to simply apply a single brain-expansion ratio. We determined the skull reference lines that best reflect changes in brain size along the X, Y, and Z axes and plotted the changes in reference-line length against the changes in body weight. The skull reference lines had a linear relationship with body weight. However, comparison of skull reference lines with body weight confirmed the non-uniform skull growth during postnatal development, with skull growth more prominent in the X and Y axes than the Z axis. Comparing the differences between the atlas-based lengths and those calculated empirically from plot-based linear fits, we created craniometric indices that can be used to modify stereotactic coordinates along all axes. We verified the accuracy of the corrected stereotactic targeting by infusing dye into internal capsule in euthanized and preserved NHP brains. Our axis-specific, craniometric-index-adjusted stereotactic targeting enabled us to correct for targeting errors arising from differences in brain size. Histological verification showed that the method was accurate to within 1 mm. Craniometric index-adjusted targeting is a simple and relatively accurate method that can be used for NHP stereotactic surgery in the general laboratory, without the need for high-resolution imaging.
Body Weight ; Brain ; Internal Capsule ; Methods ; Primates ; Skull

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to prove and quantify motor tract disruption and to correlate with motor weakness and its recovery in thalamic and putaminal hemorrhage using diffusion tensor magnetic resonance(MR) image. METHODS: We studied 24 patients with thalamic and putaminal hemorrhage with motor weakness who did not underwent surgery(hematoma volume < 25ml). We performed diffusion tensor MR image within a week, and then calculated FA(fractional anisotropy) index and FA ratio of posterior limb of internal capsule. We checked motor power of the patients at initial, 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months and 6 months after hemorrhage. We divided patients into three groups according to FA ratio(group A: FA ratio < 50.0%, group B: FA ratio 50.0~75.0%, group C: FA ratio > 75.0%)and compared means of motor power at each time. RESULTS: The means of FA ratio were 42.5% in group A, 63.0% in group B and 88.2% in group C. The means of motor power were 1.1, 2.3 and 3.7 at initial. After 6 months the means of motor power were 3.0, 4.0 and 4.5. The group of lower FA ratio had more severe motor weakness and showed worse motor recovery clinically than the group of higher FA ratio(P < 0.01). Though patients had severe motor weakness initially, the patients with high FA ratio showed good recovery. CONCLUSION: In thalamic and putaminal hemorrhage, diffusion tensor MR image can prove the degree of motor tract damage and predict the degree of motor recovery.
Diagnosis* ; Diffusion* ; Extremities ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Internal Capsule ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Putaminal Hemorrhage*

A clinical study was carried out in 16 patients with ataxic hemiparesis who were seen at Young Dong Severance Hospital, and following results were obtained. 1. The age of patients ranged from 37 to 80 years (mean 61.6) and there were 10 men and 6 women. 2. The etiologies were infarction (13 patients), hemorrhage (1 patient), tuberculosis (1 patient), and unknown (1 patient). 3. The sites of lesion were pons (8 patients), internal capsule (4 patients), pons and midbrain (2 patients), midbrain (1 patient), and thalamus (1 patient). 4. The symptoms other than ataxic hemiparesis were dysarthria in the lesion of pons, cranial nerve deficits and dysarthria in the lesion of midbrain, and sensory deficits in the lesion of internal capsule. Usually ataxic hemiparesis is known as a classic form of lacunar symdrome. But now, it is known as a only symptom comples, not a disease entity, that comes by any lesion involving both cortico-spinal tract and dentato-rubro-thalamo-cortical pathway or contico-pontine fiber or ponto-cerebellar fiber.
Cranial Nerves ; Dysarthria ; Female ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Infarction ; Internal Capsule ; Male ; Mesencephalon ; Paresis* ; Pons ; Thalamus ; Tuberculosis

The cranium can be thought of a as shallow, rigid sphere of contrast volume. There are three main components within the intracranial space : brain, cerebrospinal fluid and blood. Intracranial volume and pressure are maintained constantly by Monroe-Kellie doctrine. Also intracranial pressure is influenced by a number of physiologic factors and it will be changed with intracranial lesion. Now we were look for the possible factors that influence the intracranial pressure with continuous intracranial pressure monitoring. At the same time we studied the possibility of the relationship between factors that influence ICP and ADL(Ability of Daily Life) in 43 severe brain lesions(33 cases ; intracerebral hematoma, 10 cases ; head injury). In cases of higher GCS, smaller hematoma, lower amplitude of ICP, lesser frequency of A-wave and lower elastance, the ICP were lowed. Ninety percent of cases that GCS is over 12 was belong to ADL I and II, but only nineteen percent of cases that GCS is under 7 was belong to ADL I and II. No case of internal capsule involved group was belong to ADL I but forty-eight percent of cases whose hematoma volume is under 10ml was belong to ADL I. Fifty percent of cases whose hematoma volume is under 10ml was belong to ADL I and no case that hematoma volume is over 20ml was belong to ADL I. Cases that PCO2 is in the range of 25mmHg-29mmHg were not belong to ADL I. In cases of higher amplitude of ICP, higher frequency of A-wave and higher elastance, the patient's ADL was grave. And in cases of ICP was progressively increased, the prognosis was also grave. Consequently we are able to guess that patient's prognosis will be influenced by initial GCS, internal capsule involvement, hematoma volume, PCO2, amplitude of ICP, frequency of A-Wave, brain elastance and curve of ICP.
Activities of Daily Living ; Brain ; Cerebrospinal Fluid ; Head ; Hematoma ; Internal Capsule ; Intracranial Pressure* ; Prognosis* ; Skull