PURPOSE: To evaluate the effectiveness of pelvic arterial embolization (PAE) for intractable postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) after hysterectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From March 2011 to December 2017, 14 patients who received PAE for PPH that persisted after total abdominal hysterectomy were included (mean age, 33.6 years; range, 26–37 years). The delivery type, cause of PPH, and angiographic findings were investigated. The technical and clinical success rates and clinical outcomes were evaluated. RESULTS: Of 14 patients, 8 patients (57%) had positive angiographic findings for bleeding; contrast extravasation (n = 6), and pseudoaneurysm (n = 2). Remnant uterine artery (UA) was the most common bleeding focus (n = 4), followed by vaginal artery (n = 2), left lateral sacral artery (n = 1), and left internal pudendal artery (n = 1). Technical and clinical success rates were 100% and 93% (13/14), respectively. In 1 patient, bleeding was not controlled after initial selective embolization and the entire anterior divisions of both internal iliac arteries were embolized with gelfoam. CONCLUSION PAE for persistent PPH after hysterectomy is a safe and effective treatment. Remnant UA was the most common bleeding site and all patients recovered without any significant sequelae after embolization.

OBJECTIVE: Interhemispheric subdural hematoma (IHSDH) is uncommon, because of their unusual location. However, it is a distinct lesion with its unique characteristics. We investigated clinical features and outcomes of consecutive 42 patients with IHSDH, retrospectively. METHODS: From 2006 to 2015, we treated 105 patients with IHSDH. All patients were diagnosed by computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging. We selected 42 patients with thick (3 mm or more) IHSDH. We retrospectively reviewed the clinical and radiological findings, management and outcomes. RESULTS: The male to female ratio was 2:1. Two thirds of the patients were over 60 years old. Slip or fall was the most common cause of trauma. The level of consciousness on admission was Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) 13 to 15 in 25 patients. The most common symptom was headache. All IHSDH was hyperdense in CT at the time of diagnosis. IHSDH frequently accompanied convexity subdural hematoma. The outcome was favorable in 27 patients, however, six patients were expired. Twenty-two patients were managed conservatively. Surgery was performed in ten patients to remove the concurrent lesion. The outcome was poor in spontaneous one, patients with low GCS, and patients with conservative treatment. CONCLUSION: IHSDH is rare especially the isolated one. The outcome was dependent to the severity of injury. Surgery may be helpful to remove the concurrent mass lesion, however, conservative treatment is generally preferred.
Consciousness ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Glasgow Coma Scale ; Glasgow Outcome Scale ; Headache ; Hematoma, Subdural* ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Symptom Assessment

Intracranial dural arteriovenous fistulas (DAVFs) are abnormal arteriovenous connections that lie within the dura. Intraosseous DAVFs involving diploic venous system are extremely rare. A 46-year-old woman presented with headache and right pulsatile tinnitus for three weeks. The tinnitus started after yelling. Digital subtraction angiography revealed DAVF within the basal portion of right parietal bone along the middle meningeal artery (MMA) groove. The fistula was fed by frontal branch of right MMA and drained into right transverse sigmoid sinus junction through dilated middle meningeal vein. The intraosseous DAVF involving diploic vein was successfully obliterated with Onyx embolization via transarterial route.
Angiography, Digital Subtraction ; Central Nervous System Vascular Malformations* ; Colon, Sigmoid ; Female ; Fistula ; Headache ; Humans ; Meningeal Arteries ; Middle Aged ; Parietal Bone ; Tinnitus ; Veins*

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the occurrence rate of diffusion positive lesions (DPLs), and to assess the peri-procedural risk factors for the occurrence of DPLs in patients who underwent coil embolization of cerebral aneurysms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 304 saccular aneurysms were embolized during a seven-year period from Jan 2007 to Dec 2013. Of these, postoperative diffusion-weighted images were obtained in 186 procedures. There were 100 ruptured aneurysm and 86 unruptured aneurysms. The coiling procedures were as follows: simple coiling in 96, balloon assisted coiling (BAC) in 39, and stent assisted coiling (SAC) in 51 aneurysms. Clinical, angiographic and procedural factors were analyzed in relation to the occurrence of DPLs. RESULTS: Overall, DPLs were observed in 50.5%. In unruptured aneurysms, DPLs occurred in 23.5% of BAC, 41.9% of SAC and 57.7% of simple coiling (p = 0.08). Among ruptured aneurysms, DPLs occurred in 63.6% of BAC, 62.5% of SAC and 54.3% of simple coiling (p = 0.71). DPLs had a tendency to increase in ruptured aneurysms compared with unruptured aneurysms (57% vs. 43%, p = 0.077). Logistic regression analysis revealed that age > 55 years was the only independent risk factor for the occurrence of DPLs. CONCLUSION: DPLs occured more frequently in ruptured aneurysm and at an older age. Although most DPLs are asymptomatic, careful manipulation of cerebral or extracerebral arteries using various endovascular devices is important to reducing the occurrence of DPLs. BAC appeared to reduce occurrence of TE events in patient with unruptured aneurysm.
Aneurysm ; Aneurysm, Ruptured ; Arteries ; Diffusion* ; Embolization, Therapeutic* ; Humans ; Intracranial Aneurysm* ; Logistic Models ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Risk Factors ; Stents ; Thromboembolism

OBJECTIVE: Cranioplasty is necessary to repair the cranial defect, produced either by decompressive craniectomy or removal of the contaminated depressed skull fracture. Complications are relatively common after cranioplasty, being reported up to 23.6%. We examined the incidence and risk factors of infectious complications after cranioplasty during last 6 year period. METHODS: From January 2000 to December 2005, 107 cranioplasties were performed in our institution. The infectious complications occurred in 17 cases that required the removal of the bone flap. We examined the age of the patients, causes of the skull defect, timing of the cranioplasty, the size of the defect, and kinds of the cranioplasty material. The size of the skull defect was calculated by a formula, 3.14 x long axis x short axis. The cranioplasty material was autogenous bone kept in a freezer in 74 patients, and polymethylmetacrylate in 33 patients. Statistical significance was tested using the chi-square test. RESULTS: The infection occurred in 17 patients in 107 cranioplasties (15.9%). It occurred in 2 of 29 cases of less than 75 cm2 defect (6.9%), and 6 in 54 cases of 75~125 cm2 defect (11.1%). Also, it occurred in 9 of 24 cases of more than 125 cm2 defect (37.5%). This difference was statistically significant (p<0.01). CONCLUSION: During the cranioplasty, special attention is required when the skull defect is large since the infection tends to occurr more commonly.
Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; Decompressive Craniectomy ; Humans ; Incidence ; Polymethyl Methacrylate ; Risk Factors ; Skull ; Skull Fracture, Depressed ; Surgical Flaps

OBJECTIVE: The serum S100 protein has been known to reflect the severity of neuronal damage. The purpose of this study was to assess the prognostic value of the serum S100 protein by Elecsys S100 immunoassay in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and to establish reference value for this new method. METHODS: Serum S100 protein value was measured at admission, day 3 and 7 after bleeding in 42 consecutive patients (SAH : 20, ICH : 22) and 74 healthy controls, prospectively. Admission Glasgow coma scale (GCS) score, Hunt & Hess grade and Fisher grade for SAH, presence of intraventricular hemorrhage, ICH volume, and outcome at discharge were evaluated. Degrees of serum S100 elevation and their effect on outcomes were compared between two groups. RESULTS: Median S100 levels in SAH and ICH groups were elevated at admission (0.092 versus 0.283 microgram/L) and at day 3 (0.110 versus 0.099 microgram/L) compared to healthy controls (0.05 microgram/L; p<0001). At day 7, however, these levels were normalized in both groups. Time course of S100 level in SAH patient was relatively steady at least during the first 3 days, whereas in ICH patient it showed abrupt S100 surge on admission and then decreased rapidly during the next 7 days, suggesting severe brain damage at the time of bleeding. In ICH patient, S100 level on admission correlated well with GCS score (r=-0.859; p=0.0001) and ICH volume (r=0.663; p=0.001). A baseline S100 level more than 0.199 microgram/L predicted poor outcome with 92% sensitivity and 90% specificity. Logistic regression analyses showed Ln (S100) on admission as the only independent predictor of poor outcome (odd ratio 36.1; 95% CI, 1.98 to 656.3). CONCLUSION: Brain damage in ICH patient seems to develop immediately after bleeding, whereas in SAH patients it seems to be sustained for few days. Degree of brain damage is more severe in ICH compared to SAH group based on the S100 level. S100 level is considered an independent predictor of poor outcome in patient with spontaneous ICH, but not in SAH. Further study with large population is required to confirm this result.
Brain ; Cerebral Hemorrhage ; Glasgow Coma Scale ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Immunoassay ; Logistic Models ; Neurons ; Prognosis ; Prospective Studies ; Reference Values ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

The treatment of bilateral vertebral artery dissecting aneurysms (VADAs) presenting with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is still challenging. The authors report a rare case of bilateral VADA treated with coil trapping of ruptured VADA and covered stents implantation after multiple unsuccessful stent assisted coiling of the contralateral unruptured VADA. A 44-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital because of severe headache and sudden stuporous consciousness. Brain CT showed thick SAH and intraventricular hemorrhage. Cerebral angiography demonstrated bilateral VADA. Based on the SAH pattern and aneurysm configurations, the right VADA was considered ruptured. This was trapped with endovascular coils without difficulty. One month later, the contralateral unruptured VADA was protected using a stent-within-a-stent technique, but marked enlargement of the left VADA was detected by 8-months follow-up angiography. Subsequently two times coil packing for pseudosacs resulted in near complete occlusion of left VADA. However, it continued to grow. Covered stents graft below the posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) origin and a coronary stent implantation across the origin of the PICA resulted in near complete obliteration of the VADA. Covered stent graft can be used as a last therapeutic option for the management of VADA, which requires absolute preservation of VA flow.
Adult ; Aneurysm ; Aneurysm, Dissecting ; Angiography ; Arteries ; Brain ; Cerebral Angiography ; Consciousness ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Headache ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Pica ; Stents ; Stupor ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage ; Transplants ; Vertebral Artery

PURPOSE: This study has carried out to clarify the relationship between changes in the anal sphincter muscle thickness and pressure. Also, this study shows the effect of vaginal delivery and benign anal disease on the function and structure of the anal sphincter. METHODS: Women (n=42; mean age: 33.2 +/- 9.6 years old) without defecation problems or history of anal surgery, who came to Ewha Womans University Hospital between July 1999 and October 1999, were chosen. We measured the resting and the squeezing pressure with anal manometry and the thickness of the internal anal sphincter (IAS) and external anal sphincter (EAS) by endoanal sonography. RESULTS: The mean squeezing and resting pressures were 98.3 +/- 38.2 and 53.9 +/-17.4 cmH2O, and the mean EAS and IAS thicknesses were 4.9+/-0.9 and 1.9+/-0.3 mm, respectively. The thickness of the EAS and squeezing pressure did not correlate. Neither did the IAS thickness and the resting pressure. In cases with a history of vaginal delivery (n=15), the squeezing and the resting pressures were 94.0+/-43.0 and 57.1+/-22.2 cmH2O, and the thicknesses of the EAS and the IAS, 4.6+/-0.9 and 2.0+/-0.4 mm, respectively. The number of deliveries had no correlation with the thickness or the pressure of the anal sphincter. In patients with benign anal lesions (n=11), the squeezing and the resting pressure was 113.0+/-42.9 and 57.0+/-14.0 cmH2O, and the thicknesses of the EAS and the IAS were 5.0+/-1.3 and 2.1+/-0.4 mm, respectively. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that the function and the structure of the anal sphincter are independent. In adult women, the thickness of the anal sphincter, the history of vaginal delivery, and the existence of benign anal lesions had no effect on anal sphincter function.
Adult* ; Anal Canal* ; Defecation ; Female ; Humans ; Manometry

The authors report two cases of epidermoid cyst in the cerebellopontine angle which presented as trigeminal neuralgia. The tumors were surgically removed by suboccipital craniectomy. The cysts were densely adherent to multiple cranial nerves, including the trigeminal nerve, and the tumors occupied adjacent cisterns. After removal of the cystic content, it was sometimes difficult to differentiate the tumor capsule from the arachnoid membrane. In one patient, trigeminal neuralgia was resolved immediately after the operation, while for two weeks postoperatively, the other suffered severe headache and facial dysesthesia due to aseptic meningitis. To avoid surgical complications, it is resonable to leave a minute capsule attached to cranial nerves or blood vessels.
Arachnoid ; Blood Vessels ; Cerebellopontine Angle* ; Cranial Nerves ; Epidermal Cyst* ; Headache ; Humans ; Membranes ; Meningitis, Aseptic ; Paresthesia ; Trigeminal Nerve ; Trigeminal Neuralgia*

We report a case of cervical epidural abscess occurring four years after instrumentation. This 70-year-old female patient visited due to sudden right hemiparesis for a week. She had undergone a sublaminar wiring with a rod from the atlas to C4 for unstable C2 and C3 body fracture, about four years ago. On admission, she had neither fever nor febrile episodes. Computed tomography of the cervical spine suggested a protruded wire into the right side of the spinal canal at C3 level. On the operation, there was an epidural abscess by Staphylococcus aureus around the atlas and the axis. After removal of the instrumentation and the lesion, the hemiparesis was resolved. Although it is rare and difficult to diagnose, delayed symptoms in patients who underwent instrumentation arouses suspicion of spinal epidural abscess.
Aged ; Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Epidural Abscess* ; Female ; Fever ; Humans ; Paresis ; Postoperative Complications ; Spinal Canal ; Spine ; Staphylococcus aureus