OBJECTIVE: Prognostic factors of metastatic brain tumors have been widely reported and their operative indications also have been extended gradually even to the poor grade patients. Authors intended to analyze the causative factors for the clinical outcome of metastatic brain tumors, especially with relevant to the poor prognosis by one year follow-up evaluation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The authors retrospectively studied the clinical characteristics of 46 cases(35 patients) with metastatic brain tumors among 466 cases(437 patients) which were operated on due to the brain tumor, during the period between January 1994 to June 1999. Statistical analysis was performed by using SPSS 8.0(r). A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered clinically significant. RESULT: Among the variable clinical factors in patients with metastatic brain tumors, Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) score of less than 70(16 patients), uncontrolled primary tumor(8 patients), and surgical resection without further adjuvant therapy(9 patients) showed statistically significant poor prognosis; p value of 0.002, 0.032, and 0.001, respectively. Other tested variables, such as old age(greater than 65 years; 10 patients), gender(male; 20 patients), type of primary cancer(primary undefined; 6 patients, lung cancer; 15 patients), location(infratentorial; 9 patients, sellar; 5 patients), number of lesion(multiple; 12 patients), and number of operation(multiple craniotomy; 7 patients) were not related to the poor prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: The most common primary site of distant metastasis was lung. The poorer prognosis was highly correlated with various factors including low KPS score(<70), no postoperative adjuvant therapy, and uncontrolled primary tumors.
Brain Neoplasms* ; Brain* ; Craniotomy ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Humans ; Lung ; Lung Neoplasms ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis* ; Retrospective Studies

Caudal anesthesia appears to be a safe and reliable techniuqe for surgical anesthesia as well as an alternative to narcotics for postoperative analgesia for procedures below the umbilicus. The caudal anesthesia might be particularly helpful in infants and children to avoid repetitive injections of narcotics to control postoperative pain. Advantages of caudal anesthesia for pediatric surgery i.e. clearly defined anatomic landmarks, a simplicity of the technique and high success rate have been reported. However, it has not been popular in clinical practice due to several reasons. First of all, small children do not cooperate with technical procedures. Therfore, an additional measure to provide a cooperative state is needed, such as pentothal or ketamine injection, or general anesthesia induced beforehand. Secondly, there is no clear determination or unanimity in anesthetic dosage according to the patient's age or body weight. Lastly, clinical experience and reports have not been enough for clinical practice. The aim of this study was to determine whether commonly accepted dosages used in infants produce blood levels within a safe range. This study was undertaken to measure changes of plasma concentration of lidocaine in patients with pediatric caudal anesthesia, and to check pain and motor scores and analgesic level at the recovery room. The time courses of the plasma concentration were observed in 29 healthty children(0.5-13 yr) to whom were caudally injected with 1% lidocaine mixed 1: 200,000 epinephrine(10 mg/kg). The plasma concentrations were measured by immunofluoresence assay at the intervals of l5, 30, 45, and 60 minutes. The values of plasma concnetration were 1.67+/-0.41, 1.85+/-0.61, 1.73+/-0.46, 1.75+/-0.29mcg/ml(MEAN+/-SD). The peak plasma concentration was 1.85+/-0.61mcg/ml at 30 minutes. However, there no significant differences during the first hour. No data exceeded 5 mcg/ml which is plasma toxic level of lidocaine, nor children had an experience of toxic complications. When the pain and motor scores were checked in the recovery room, most children had no pain and were not ahle to stand but movalble. Sensory levels were checked up to T9 which were suitable for lower abdominal and perineal surgery. These results indicate that the injection of l% lidocaine 10 mg/kg with epinephrine in children is considered to be safe because plasma concentration dose not exceed the toxic levels.
Analgesia ; Anatomic Landmarks ; Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, Caudal* ; Anesthesia, General ; Body Weight ; Child ; Epinephrine ; Humans ; Infant ; Ketamine ; Lidocaine* ; Narcotics ; Pain, Postoperative ; Plasma* ; Recovery Room ; Thiopental ; Umbilicus

Dural puncture in a well recognised complications of lumbar epidural anesthesia, as is extensive block after extradural injection of local anesthetic solutions in patients in whom the dura has been punctured. A healthy 43-year-old woman entered for trans-abdominal hysterectomy under lumbar epidural anesthesia. After an accidental dural puncture was noticed then the epidural puncture was reattempted at the same site and a catheter was inserted succesfully. An extensive segmental anesthesia along with hypotension and pupil dilatation developed about 45 minutes after the first injection of lidocain. Such extensive segmental anesthesia may be the result of injection into the subdural space. However, it was not confirmed in this case radiologically.
Adult ; Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, Epidural* ; Catheters ; Dilatation ; Female ; Humans ; Hypotension ; Hysterectomy ; Injections, Epidural ; Punctures ; Pupil ; Subdural Space

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to examine the safety and feasibility of a primary (direct) stenting in acute myocardial infarction (AMI). In the treatment of AMI, Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) has documented superior reperfusion rate and improved clinical outcomes than thrombolytic therapy. However, there are several limitations of PTCA, such as recurrent ischemia in 10 to 15%, reinfarction in 3 to 5% and restenosis in 30 to 50% of patients. There are several reports that, compared with PTCA, the implantation of coronary stent has been shown to reduce angiographic restenosis and improve late clinical outcomes. But in general, stenting has been contraindicated in thrombus containing lesion due to the risk of subacute thrombosis. With advance in technique and the recognition of the importance of adequate platelet inhibition, the incidence of subacute thrombosis has fallen in patients with acute coronary syndrome and thrombus laden lesion. Methods and Results: In our study, primary stenting was performed in 42 patients of AMI. There are 6 cases (22.5%) target lesion restenosis during the follow up coronary angiography (150+/-86day) and no in-hospital death. Three cases (7.1%) of them require revascularization including two re-PCTA and a coronary artery bypass graft for the recurrent ischemic symptoms. There were no reinfarction and death after discharge. Six-months event free survival reate was 85.7%. CONCLUSION: Primary stenting is safe and feasible in the majority of patients with AMI and results in excellent mid-term outcomes compared with PTCA.
Acute Coronary Syndrome ; Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary ; Blood Platelets ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Bypass ; Disease-Free Survival ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Incidence ; Ischemia ; Myocardial Infarction* ; Reperfusion ; Stents* ; Thrombolytic Therapy ; Thrombosis ; Transplants

To describe the detailed microsurgical anatomy of the clinoid(C5)segment of the internal carotid artery(ICA) and surrounding structures and clarify the anatomical relationships of this region emphasizing their clinical relevance, authors examined in 70 specimens from 35 formalin fixed cadaveric heads. Removal of the anterior clinoid process exposes the C5 segment of the ICA which is encircled by the thin inner dural layer of the cavernous sinus wall. Opening this membrane enables entrance into a narrow space that communicates with cavernous sinus through the proximal dural ring. Unlike the dura of the distal dural ring that is tightly attached to the ICA, the proximal dural ring is always incompetent. The C5 segment of the ICA has been considered by the majority of authors to be extracavernous. This understanding developed because most investigators overlooked the thin inner dural layer encircling the clinoid ICA. The narrow space between the inner dural layer and the ICA communicates with cavernous sinus through an incompetent proximal dural ring. Therefore, the clinoid ICA should be considered to be the most rostral portion of the cavernous (C4)segment of the ICA. The proximal dural ring is a surgical landmark rather than a true dural ring.
Cadaver ; Carotid Artery, Internal* ; Cavernous Sinus ; Formaldehyde ; Head ; Humans ; Membranes ; Research Personnel

OBJECTIVE: Various lesions including tumors occupying in the presellar and suprasellar regions have been traditionally removed by the transcranial approach. The new modified transsphenoidal approaches(TSAs) have been proposed to avoid the craniotomy and to get better surgical view. MATERIALS AND PATIENTS: The sellar floor and presellar anterior cranial fossa were removed through the sublabial transseptal transsphenoidal technique in the "transsphenoidal supradiaphragmatic intradural approach". One tuberculum sella meningioma and a suprasellar Rathke's cleft cyst confined to the pituitary stalk were removed via this approach. RESULTS: The dissection of the anterior intercavernous sinus, diaphragma sella, and arachnoid membrane allowed a wide surgical field of pre- and suprasellar areas and facilitated a safe removal of lesions without significant surgical complications in our cases. CONCLUSION: From the authors' limited experience, the advantages of this technique are as follows: 1) it can be easily applicable through a minor modification of the standard TSA, 2) excellent anatomical exposure of the structures located in the supradiaphragmatic suprasellar cistern, and 3) might be suitable to remove small lesions located in the presellar and adjacent to the pituitary stalk region.
Arachnoid ; Cranial Fossa, Anterior ; Craniotomy ; Humans ; Membranes ; Meningioma ; Pituitary Gland

No abstract available.
Aneurysm*

No abstract available.
Low Back Pain* ; Sciatica*

No abstract available.
Aneurysm*

No abstract available.
Arteries* ; Intracranial Aneurysm*