BACKGROUND: Cardiogenic embolic infarction is the most preventable type of ischemic stroke. This study was under-taken to compare the infarct size, prognosis, and risk factors between cardiogenic embolic infarction (CE) and large artery atherosclerotic infarction (LAA). METHODS:We reviewed the medical records and brain computed tomography/magnetic resonance image (CT/MRI) scans of patients with CE or LAA during the period between January 1996 and May 1998. Patients with lacunar and posterior circulation infarctions were excluded. A slice of brain CT/MRI scan showing the largest lesion was selected in each patient and the area of infarction was then measured. Prognosis was determined by the Modified Rankin Disability Scale (MRDS) and was grouped as either good (MDRS 0, 1, 2) or poor (MDRS 3, 4, 5). RESULTS: The study included 103 patients : 50 with CE (NVAF in 23, VHD with or without AF in 13, prosthetic valve in 6, and others in 8) and 53 with LAA (large artery thrombosis in 29, and artery to artery embolism in 24). The infarct size of CE (23.2+/-14.7 cm2) was significantly larger than that of LAA (11.4+/-10.5 cm2) (p<0.001). The infarct size of NVAF (29.0+/-19.1 cm2) was significantly larger than that of VHD with or without AF (19.2+/-11.5 cm2) (p<0.05). Patients with CE had a worse prognosis (poor in 46%) than those with LAA (poor in 23%) (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Our results showed that CE led to larger lesions and worse outcomes. Therefore, we emphasize the importance of primary and secondary preventions of stroke in patients with cardiogenic embolic sources.
Arteries* ; Brain ; Embolism ; Heart Valve Diseases ; Humans ; Infarction* ; Medical Records ; Prognosis* ; Risk Factors ; Secondary Prevention ; Stroke ; Thrombosis

Transient ischemic attack (TIA) often precede cerebral infarcts as a warning symptom. But the studies revealing the frequency and the correlation between preceding TIAs and following infarcts are rare. According to the western data, about one-quarter of the patients with cerebral infarct have been supposed to have the previous history of TIAs. We prospectively studied the exact frequency, clinical presentation, and presumed causes of TIAs preceding cerebral infarct. Ninety five patients diagnosed as acute cerebral infarction were interviewed whether they had had previous episodes of TIA. 4 check-list using ordinary language was used, and NINDS diagnostic criteria was applied on the consensus between several neurologists. Seventeen patients (18%) had history of preceding TIAs. Carotid territory was affected in 11 patients (65%), while vertebrobasilar in 4(24%) and undetermined in 2. Duration was less than an hour in 10 patients(59%), and attacks were multiple in about half. Time interval between the last attack and infarction was less than one week in 10 cases(59%). Incidence of recent TIA ((1 month) was 22% in large artery disease(LAD), 11% In cardioembolism(CE), 9% in small-artery disease(SAD), and 7% in mixed etiology. Conclusion, TIAs preceding cerebral infarcts are not rare, but seems to be less common in Koreans than in Caucasians. As expected, atherothrombosis of large artery is supposed to be the leading cause of TIAs.
Arteries ; Cerebral Infarction ; Consensus ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infarction ; Ischemic Attack, Transient* ; National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke ; Prospective Studies

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Recent studies suggest that anticoagulation, or antiplatelet therapy is safe and effective for the prevention of cardiogenic embolic stroke. However it has not been studied in Korea how the patients with cardioembolic source were managed in practice for the prevention of stroke. This study was done to assess the current status of primary and secondary prevention of cardioembolic stroke. METHODS: Retrospective study was undertaken in 124 patients with cardiogenic embolic stroke, following items were examined, previous anticoagulation or antiplatelet therapy, previous stroke, Insight of the heart disease, and International Normalize Ratio(INR) value on arrival at the hospital. RESULTS: In 124 patients cardioembolic sources were constituted of non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) in 54, rheumatic heart disease In 40, prosthetic cardiac valve In 14, dilated cardiomyopathy(D-CMP) in 6, left ventricular akinetic segment in 7(including 3 cases of LV thrombi), recent myocardial infarction in 3. In 93 patients with no previous stroke, 44 patients had regular medical follow-up because of his/her cardiac problems and primary prevention of stroke was made only in 12 (27%) patients (8 on anticoagulation and 4 on antiplatelet therapy). The rate of primary prevention varied according to the type of cardioembolic source; 100% with mechanical prosthetic valve, 33.3% with valvular atrial fibrillation, 6.7% with NVAF, and none with D-CMP and bioprosthetic valve. Previous stroke was found in 31 patients, among whom 24 had been followed regularly. Twenty patients(83%) were under secondary prevention of cardioembolic stroke (anticoagulation in 11 and antiplatelet agents in 9). Among 19 patients who developed stroke in spite of anticoagulation, INR values were lower than 1.5 in 12(63%), between 1.5 and 2.0 in 5(26%), and above 2.0 in 2(11%). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that cardioembolic strokes have not been prevented properly. Many physicians seem to be reluctant to anticoagulate their patients with cardioembolic source, and even with anticoaguation the dosage is frequently insufficient to prevent stroke.
Atrial Fibrillation ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heart Diseases ; Heart Valves ; Humans ; International Normalized Ratio ; Korea ; Myocardial Infarction ; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors ; Primary Prevention ; Retrospective Studies ; Rheumatic Heart Disease ; Secondary Prevention ; Stroke*

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Current therapy for acute ischemic stroke is highly focused on neuroprotective agents, and many ion channel blockers have been challenged for experimental models. In this study, we tried to reveal the neuroprotective effect of lamotrigine, a voltage-sensitive sodium channel blocker, for transient global ischemia of Mogolian gerbil. METHODS: Lamotrigine (50mg/kg) was administered via gastric tube 30 minutes before and after global ischemia (for 10 min) under body temperature monitoring. Sham-operated and non-treated ischemia group were compared. Seven days after reperfusion, gerbils were killed with perfusion/fixation technique and representative sections were cut through the hippocampus. Hematoxylin-Eosin staining was done for microscopic examination and number of viable neurons in CA1 area was counted. RESULTS: Neuronal density was different between sham-operated (n=11), non-treated ischemic (n=11), and lamotrigine-treated (n=26) group (107.8+13.1/mm vs. 21.5+23.0/mm vs. 82.0+13.1/mm, p<0.01). Both pre-(n=17) and post-treated group (n=9) showed significant neuroprotective effect compared with non-treated group. Neuronal density of pre-treated group was slightly higher than in post-treated group, though statistically not significant (84.6+13.0/mm vs. 77.3+12.7/mm, p=0.13). CONCLUSION: These results show that lamotrigine may have some effects reducing the delayed neuronal death in transient global ischemia. Considering the mechanism of action, we suggest that activation of voltage-sensitive sodium channel and release of glutamate at early phase of ischemia may be related to the delayed neuronal death.
Body Temperature ; Cerebral Infarction ; Gerbillinae ; Glutamic Acid ; Hippocampus ; Ion Channels ; Ischemia* ; Models, Theoretical ; Neurons ; Neuroprotective Agents* ; Reperfusion ; Sodium Channels ; Stroke

We described a case of a 30-year-old female patient with bipolar disorder who experienced the anticonvulsant hypersensitivity syndrome (AHS) during treatment with lamotrigine and aripiprazole. She developed fever (38.4 degrees C), leukopenia, skin rash, and elevated serum transaminase levels on the 11th day of lamotrigine treatment (20th day of aripiprazole). Hypersensitivity to lamotrigine was suspected; lamotrigine was discontinued and prednisolone (30 mg/day) was administered to the patient. The clinical manifestations and laboratory findings showed improvement. However, on the 11th day of lamotrigine discontinuation (7th day of prednisolone treatment), she developed maculopapular skin rash over the entire body except the mucosa. There were no other symptoms and the laboratory findings were within normal limits. Skin biopsy showed erythema multiforme. After prescribing 55 mg/day of predisolone for additional 8 days, the recovery was uneventful, and it took 4 weeks from the onset of the second skin rash. Lamotrigine induced AHS showed broad spectrum of presentation and some manifestations can be flared up several days after discontinuation as did in this case. If unexplained systemic symptoms or a skin rash of unknown cause develop during the use of lamotrigine, clinicians should discontinue lamotrigine promptly and monitor the patient carefully at least for several weeks.
Adult ; Biopsy ; Bipolar Disorder ; Erythema Multiforme ; Exanthema ; Female ; Fever ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity* ; Leukopenia ; Mucous Membrane ; Prednisolone ; Skin ; Aripiprazole

In 1943, Alberto Inclan reported tumoral calcinosis in 3 cases at major joints. This condition usually showed large, painless calcified mass in major juxtaarticular sites, and evidence of familial or racial predisposition in blacks but abnormal values of serum calcium and phosphorus, association with renal disease, metabolic disorder and collagen disease are seldom seen. Tumoral calcinosis in large joints such as hip, knee, elbow and shoulder was reported several cases. Tumoral calcinosis in hand and foot is very rare and not reported yet in this country. Recently, authors experienced a case of tumoral calcinosis in both hands and right foot and cured without recurrence in 1 year follow up.
African Continental Ancestry Group ; Calcinosis ; Calcium ; Collagen Diseases ; Elbow ; Follow-Up Studies ; Foot ; Hand ; Hip ; Humans ; Joints ; Knee ; Metabolic Diseases ; Phosphorus ; Recurrence ; Shoulder

The methods of treatment of spondylolisthesis range from posterior fusion to instrumentation, and circumferential fusion. Combined anterior and posterior fusion with instrumentation had been carried out in one or two stages and satisfactory results were obtained in nighteen cases with follow-up period of one year to four years at department of orthopedic surgery of Ewha Womans University Hospital from 1987 to 1991. The results were as follows: 1. Of 19 patients, 7 patients were male and 12 patients were famale. 2. The isthmic type was 12 cases (63.1%) and the 5th lumbar vertebral involvement is common (12 cases, 63.1%). 3. The operative treatment was as follows: Posterior fusion with instrumentation was 8 cases, and anterior fusion with instrumentation was 11 cases. 4. The combined anterior and posterior fusion with instrumentation had been carried out in one stage operation at 8 cases, and two stage operation was done at 11 cases. 5. The average operation time was 3.0 hrs in one stage operation, 3.1 hrs in two stage operation, and the average amount of blood loss was 22cc/Kg in one stage, 17cc/Kg in two stage. 6. The satisfactory results were obtained in 19 cases, but there was no specific difference between one stage and two stage operation.
Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Orthopedics ; Spondylolisthesis

Fifty two cases of displacecd supracondylar fractures were divided into three groups according to the methods of fracture stabilization. Cast immobilizations without pin fixation were included to the group 1 (12 cases), fixation with lateral pins to the group 2 (22 cases), and lateral and medial cross pins to the group 3 (18 cases). In each group we attempted a radiological analysis for the stabilization failure through measurements of the horizontal rotation and the mediolateral tilting in their preoperative, postoperative and follow-up X-rays. Stabilization failure during the follow-up period was presumpted to be present in those cases that show (1) a development or increase of the horizontal rotation in follow-up lateral X-ray, and (2) accompanied change in Baumann's angle of more than 5 degrees. The failed stabilizations were in three cases (25%) in the group 1. In the group 2 the horizontal rotations after initial fixation were developed in four fractures. However, only two (9%) of the four cases accompanied significant changes in the Baumann's angle. Loss of the initial fixation in the cross pin group was found in one case. These results demonstrate that the cross pin fixation is the most stable form. Fixation in only lateral side sometimes shows rotational instability, but this method seems to be still useful because singificant coronal tilting develops in only a few occasions of those with horizontal rotation.
Child ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Humerus ; Methods

In the endoscopic one-incision anterior cruciate ligament(ACL) reconstruction, placing the graft's tendon-bone interface flush with the intraarticular femoral tunnel results in frequent distal graft protrusion. On the contrary, we occasionally found that the intraarticular posterior cruciate ligament(PCL) length was longer than patellar tendon length and had a great difficulty in performing the endoscopic one-incision technique of PCL reconstruction. The purpose of this study is to get a certain guideline in the endoscopic one-incision technique of cruciate ligament reconstruction by measuring intraarticular distance of ACL, PCL and patellar tendon and by measuring distance between the insertion of pes anserinus and medial tibial plateau in 19 cadaveric knees. The results were as follows; 1. The average patellar tendon length was 36.2±4.7mm(range 24.7-45.0). 2. The average ACL length was 23.7±3.9mm(range 16.5-30.3). 3. The average PCL length was 32.7±3.8mm(range 25.4-41.0). 4. The average distance between the insertion of pes anserinus and medial tibial plateau was 38.3±5.4mm(range 27.2-53.6). Clinical Relevance: Since Korean patellar tendon is shorter than Caucasian's and intraarticular distance of ACL is same as Caucasian's, graft-tunnel mismatch doesn't seem to be a major problem with the accurate technique of the endoscopic one-incision ACL reconstruction in Korean patients. It is possible to interfere with the pes anserinus if the length of the tibial tunnel is needed more than 44.8 mm, It is very difficult to perform an endoscopic one-incision PCL reconstruction if the length of patellar tendon is less than 35mm because intraarticular distance of PCL is sometimes longer than patellar tendon in such cases.
Adult ; Cadaver ; Humans ; Knee ; Ligaments ; Patellar Ligament ; Transplants

A herniated lumbar intervertebral disc has been the most common cause of low back pain and sciatica since Mixter and Barr reported it in 1934. Our methods of treatment were the conservative treatment and the excision of the herniated disc for a limited number of carefully selected cases. The results of disc surgery relate to a number of factors, unquestionably the most important being patient selectivity. We emplopyed Finneson's lumbar disc surgery predictive score card to determine the relationship between patient selection and the outcome of lumbar disc surgery in operative cases. This report is to give a clinical review of 46 cases of the herniated disc upon which surgical removal were performed at Eul-Ji General Hospital from March 1981 to July 1982. The results were obtained as follows: 1. The most common age group were 21 to 40 year old. 2. In 46 surgically treated cases, 34 cases were male (74%) and 12 cases were female (26%). 3. The bulging of disc was found in 25 cases and the ruptured disc was found in 14 cases. The most common site of the lesion was L4-5 intervertebral disc with 30 cases (65%) and the next L5-Sl intervertebral disc with 10 cases (22%). 4. The outcomes of lumbar disc surgery were evaluated at follow-up as good in 77 per cent, fair in 11 per cent, marginal in 7 per cent and poor in 5 per cent of the patients. 5. The predictive scores of each result category were averaged and were as follows; Good: 77.1, Fair: 67.3, Marginal: 58.0, Poor: 40.0 6. The average predictive scores of each result category fell within the anticipated parameters of the score card. 7. The score card may be utilized as reliable system for presurgical patient selection.
Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement ; Low Back Pain ; Male ; Patient Selection ; Sciatica