We have experienced a rare case of leukemic lesion(chloroma) in the lower spinal canal which was confirmed by the surgery and histologic examination of the tumor. A farmer, aged 39, was admitted to the Department of Neurosurgery, St. Paul Hospital in December 1974 with chief complaints of low back pain with radiating pain in the right lower extremity and voiding difficulty for one month. On admission, neurologically, the patient exhibited weakness of the right anterior tibialis, extensor hallucis longus and peroneus longus and brevis muscles and sensory involvement of the right third, fourth and fifth sacral dermatomes. He was disclosed the positive signs of the Naffziger's and Lasegue's and severe tenderness on the spinous process of the fifth lumbar and first sacral vertebrae. Lumbar myelogram demonstrated a total block at lower level of the fifth lumbar vertebra and a filling defect of the right fifth lumbar root area. Through the laminectomy of fourth lumbar to first sacral lamina, an extradural greenish soft mass located at the ventral aspect of the right fifth lumbar to upper sacral roots, and the mass was removed. The biopsy specimen disclosed chloroma with leukemic infiltration of the meninges.
Biopsy ; Humans ; Laminectomy ; Leukemic Infiltration ; Low Back Pain ; Lower Extremity ; Meninges ; Muscles ; Neurosurgery ; Sarcoma, Myeloid ; Spinal Canal* ; Spine

A case of infantile multiloculated brain abscess diagnosed by computerized tomography and enhancement with intravenous contrast material is introduced. In this case, patient was successfully treated by repeated needle aspiration and lesions were observed by means of serial computerized tomography and intracapsular microbarium injection. The abscess cavities were punctured stereotaxically on measuring the lesions of the plain skull film with consequence C.A.T scan.
Abscess ; Brain Abscess* ; Brain* ; Humans ; Needles* ; Skull

The introduction of the operating microscope improved not only the immediate operative management of cerebral aneurysms, but also the knowledge of their topography. The origin and projection of an aneurysm and its relation to the arteries concerned, identification and sparing of small functionally important arteries in the vicinity of the aneurysm, and the recognition of less known anomalies of the vascular system became as important as the dissection and clipping of the neck itself. We have presented 2 patients with aneurysms arising from the carotid artery in the origin of the ophthalmic artery. The origins and projections of aneurysms were analyzed with the aid of angiography, magnification technique, operative drawing and photographs. To facilitate the surgical procedures and results in lowered morbidity we have discussed the technical considerations for medialward directing aneurysm under the optic nerve in the view point of the surgical anatomy. We emphasized preoperatively defined plans concerning the origin, direction and size of the aneurysms, as well as, constant awareness of topographic relations.
Aneurysm* ; Angiography ; Arteries ; Carotid Arteries ; Humans ; Intracranial Aneurysm ; Neck ; Ophthalmic Artery ; Optic Nerve*

We have experienced 43 cases of the hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage who were admitted to the Catholic medical Center, Seoul from November 1969 to February 1973. All these cases were diagnosed by clinical findings and cerebral angiography and assessed the prognostic factors on the result of treatment. The results of the analysis were summarized as follows: 1. Age distribution was ranged from 26 to 67, and 79 per cent of them were in fourth and fifth decade. The ratio of male to female was about 3 to 1. 2. The most frequent site of the hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage was in the basal ganglia in 76.7 per cent, 27.2 percent of them in the thalamic hemorrhage and 39.5 per cent in the external capsular hemorrhage. The remainder were 9.3 per cent in the subcortical hemorrhage, 11.6 per cent in the pontine hemorrhage and 2.4 per cent in the cerebellar hemorrhage. 3. In the past history, hypertension was noted in 88.3 per cent of them. Simple chest X-ray showed cardiomegaly in 58.1 per cent and left ventricular hypertrophy was found in 41.1 per cent on E.C.G. findings. 4. All of 43 cases had unconscious state with various level at the onset of illness. For 43 cases, 46.5 per cent was in transient impairment of consciousness or drowsy state and 53.6 per cent in stuporous or comatous state. Headache was experienced in 81.3 per cent and 58.1 per cent of them was associated with vomiting. 5. During hospital course improvement of conscious level to alert state was found in 25.6 per cent and drowsy state in 18.6 per cent of all cases. On the aspect of the site of hemorrhage, 81.3 % of the thalamic hemorrhage and all pontine hemmorhage cases had shown stuporous or comatous conscious level. On the other hand, 70.6 per cent of the external capsular hemorrhage and all of the subcortical hemorrhage was found in alert or drowsy state. 6. On the neurological findings, anisocoria was noted in 18.8 per cent, miotic pupil in 20.7 per cent of all cases and pin-point pupils in pontine hemorrhage exclusively. Normal extraocular movement was noted in 60.4 per cent, conjugate deviation in 9.7 per cent of all cases. Inward and downward deviation of the eye-ball was found in 50 per cent of the thalamic hemorrhage. Dissociated eye-ball movement and occular bobbing were noted in the pontine hemorrhage. Motor impairment developed in all cases except one of the subcortical hemorrhage. Hemiplegia or hemiparesis was noted in 86.1 per cent of all cases and quadriplegia in 60 per cent of the pontine hemorrhage. Speech disturbance was noted in 27.9 per cent of all cases. 7. In the hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage 24 cases were treated surgically and 19 cases were managed conservatively. Mortality and disability rate increased steadily with deepening of level of consciousness. The result of surgical treatment was better in alert and drowsy patients. 8. In addition to conscious level, the site of intracerebral hemorrhage did strongly influence to surgical outcome. Surgical treatment of 9 cases of thalamic hemorrhage resulted 8 death and one with severe disability. On the other hand, of 17 patients of the external capsular hemorrhage 12 were treated surgically and 8 cases showed improvement. 5 patients of pontine hemorrhage was managed conservatively but resulted fatal outcome in 2 cases. 9. There is a conflict of opinion as to the optimal time to operate the hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage. Early surgery after ictus probably increase the mortality rate. Of 10 cases who were treated with surgical intervention within 48 hours following ictus, seven cases were succumbed. On the contrary, 0f 12 cases who had received operative treatment after 72 hours following ictus, 9 showed improvement and 3 death. 10. The amount of the hematoma seem to somewhat influence to surgical result.
Age Distribution ; Anisocoria ; Basal Ganglia ; Cardiomegaly ; Cerebral Angiography ; Cerebral Hemorrhage ; Consciousness ; Fatal Outcome ; Female ; Hand ; Headache ; Hematoma ; Hemiplegia ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular ; Intracranial Hemorrhage, Hypertensive* ; Male ; Mortality ; Paresis ; Pupil ; Quadriplegia ; Seoul ; Stupor ; Thorax ; Unconsciousness ; Vomiting

Recently microvascular decompressive approach to the hyperactive type of low cranial nerves dysfunction has been popular procedures in neurosurgical operation. The neurosurgical teams at St. Paul's Hospital, Catholic Medical College operated on 11 patients employing this technique for 2 years. The patients were diagnosed as 9 patients with hemifacial spasm, one with trigeminal neuralgia, and one with glossopharyngeal neuralgia. The results were very encouraging of the 10 patients. But remaining one patient was failed with therapy. The authors would like to share with you their experiences employing the microvascular surgical technique, the results & the prognosis.
Cranial Nerves* ; Glossopharyngeal Nerve Diseases ; Hemifacial Spasm ; Humans ; Microvascular Decompression Surgery ; Prognosis ; Trigeminal Neuralgia

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: This study was aimed at evaluating the significance of blood pressure (BP) load in ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) in obese children and adolescents. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: ABPM was conducted for 60 selected patients who had visited Sunlin Hospital between January 2008 and August 2008. Patients were classified into 3 groups; an obese group whose body mass index (BMI) was > the 95th percentile, an overweight group whose BMI was > the 85th percentile but less than the 95th percentile, and a normal group whose BMI was below the 85th percentile. Overall mean BP, day and night BP and BP load were measured by ABPM. RESULTS: Of the 60 patients, twenty-seven children belonged to the obese group, 9 and 24 to the overweight and the normal group, respectively. Among the three groups, the overall average systolic and diastolic BP, daytime diastolic BP, and systolic BP loads in daytime and nighttime were statistically different. Comparing the obese group with the normal group, systolic BP loads in daytime and nighttime in the obese group were significantly higher than those in the normal group. Also, the obese group had more patients whose BP loads were over 25% greater than the normal group while the difference in the number of patients with overall hypertension was not significantly different. CONCLUSION: Assessment of children's BP through assessment of BP load is a more detailed and precise tool than assessment through mean BP using ABPM and BP can be better controlled using measurement of BP load.
Blood Pressure ; Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory ; Body Mass Index ; Child ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Obesity ; Overweight

Plasma levels of growth hormone(GH), luteinizing hormone(LH) and cortisol were determined by radioimmunoassay following radiofrequency(RF) stimulation or coagulation of various nuclei in thalamus and hypothalamus. RF stimulation or coagulation of many nuclei in thalamus and hypothalamus consisted of pulvinar and dorsomedial nucleus in thalamus and anterior and posterior hypothalamic nuclei in hypothalamus. Anterior thalamic stimulation resulted in highly significant increase of plasma LH, GH, cortisol and TH levels. However thalamic stimulation resulted no change in the level of various plasma hormones. Hypothalamic lesion produced significantly decreased plasma LH, GH and cortisol levels. Plasma cortisol and LH levels were highest 2 hours after stimulation while GH levels did not increased until 6 hours and TH until 72 hours respectively after stimulation. The significant difference in latency for beginning of hormone secretion suggests that GH, cortisol and LH may be controlled by several separate neuronal networks. Plasma GH and cortisol levels were lowest 72 hrs after coagulation of the anterior hypothalamic area, while GH, cortisol and LH levels did not change following stimulation or coagulation of posterior hypothalamic nucleus and thalamic nucldi. It was also noted that the anterior hypothalamic stimulation or coagulation caused increased or decreased in GH, cortisol, and LH than that observed from stimulation or coagulation of other hypothalamic and thalamic nuclei respectively.
Anterior Hypothalamic Nucleus ; Hydrocortisone ; Hypothalamus* ; Lutein ; Mediodorsal Thalamic Nucleus ; Neurons ; Plasma ; Pulvinar ; Radioimmunoassay ; Thalamic Nuclei ; Thalamus*

Recently, brainstem auditory evoked potential is very important for the evaluation of functions of the 8th nerve & brainstem. Especially, it appears that waves I, III, and V primarily represent volume- conducted electrical activity from the acoustic nerve, pons and midbrain, respectively, and that latencies between these three potentials indirectly reflect neural conduction in the corresponding segments of the central auditory pathway. For example, wave I to wave III interpeak latency(I-III IPL) is a measure of conduction in the more caudal segment of the brainstem auditory pathway-acoustic nerve and potomedullary portion-while the III-V IPL is a measure of conduction in the more rostral pontine and midbrain portions of the pathway. This study was undertaken to identify the normal measurements of the waves I, III and V and I-III IPL, III-V IPL in order to for provide basic data for clinical use in diagnosis, monitering in operation and management of patients with brainstem lesions. The literature is reviewed and results compared to the current study.
Auditory Pathways ; Brain Stem* ; Cochlear Nerve ; Diagnosis ; Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem* ; Humans ; Mesencephalon ; Neural Conduction ; Pons

Recently for 2 years, 24 cases of microabscesses have been experienced and treated at St. Paul's Hospital, Catholic Medical College. Investigations had been made & analyzed to characteristic clinical symptoms and signs, typical CT findings and therapeutic management and prognosis. The CT scan is most choice of and early and accurate diagnosis and has made feasible the follow up of the evolution and eventual resolution of abscess lesions. In the authors opinion and experience, when microabscess is diagnosed at it early stage, it could be treated in 2week with the administration of antibiotics & not need any other surgical interventions.
Abscess ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Diagnosis* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Prognosis ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

CT guided stereotactic biopsies were carried out in 41 patients with tumorous CT findings during past 2 years. In 27 tumorous CT conditions impressed glioma, meningioma, metastatic ca, chondroma, germinoma and craniopharyngioma, 16 cases were disclosed correctly in preoperative cinicalradiological diagnosis comparing with pathological diagnosis confirmed by means of stereotactic biopsy, but other 11 cases, showed the preoperative diagnostic error which pathological diagnosis were infarction, cryptical AVM, abscess, granuloma, and tumors such ad lymphoma, oligodendroglioma, GBM, chordoma. Among 12 granulomatous CT lesions 3 cases showed preoperative diagnostic error, which were, confirmed infarction, multiple sclerosis by pathological diagnosis. The pathological findings of 2 vascular lesions that were impressed as infarction and old hematoma were confirmed as granuloma and GBM. The error of preoperative clinical - CT diagnosis was 39% of total 41 patients. The advantage of preoperative stereotactic biopsy is to confirm the correct histological diagnosis, while it can help the patient and surgeon for the planning of further proper therapy.
Abscess ; Biopsy* ; Chondroma ; Chordoma ; Craniopharyngioma ; Diagnosis ; Diagnostic Errors ; Germinoma ; Glioma ; Granuloma ; Hematoma ; Humans ; Infarction ; Lymphoma ; Meningioma ; Multiple Sclerosis ; Oligodendroglioma