Encapsulated and free pus in the substance of the brain tissue following an acute purulent infection is known as brain abscess, and which is uncommon. The brain abscess arise either as direct extention from infections within the cranial cavity or as hematogenous metastasis from infections elsewhere in the body. Since 1945, the antibiotics associated use of steroid and mannitol have been available for the treatment of brain abscess, and the result are very hopeful. The common method of surgical treatment are consist of excision and drainage and the problem of the best operative procedure has been disputed on the many neurosurgical literatures for many years. Recently we had treated 2 cases of severe otogenic brain abscesses with semicomatose patient by drainage, and good was the result compared with the other literatures. Result; 1. One case with semicoma recovered completely without any neurologic sequelae, and the other case recovered with visual disturbance. 2. The best operative procedure for the severe brain abscess considered a drainage.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Brain Abscess ; Brain* ; Drainage* ; Hope ; Humans ; Mannitol ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Suppuration ; Surgical Procedures, Operative

Primitive neuroectodermal tumors(PNETs) may be a term established recently for a tumor group(?) which is composed of prominent undifferentiated cells with variable foci of differentiation along glial and neuronal lines. The authors experienced a case of 'primitive glioma' regarded as a subclass of PNETs, in a 14 year old boy who had suffered from headache and vomiting for about 40 days prior to admission. Brain CT and angiographic studies reveal a huge hypovascular mass lesion with multiple cysts in the left frontal lobe. The patient was satisfactorily treated by total tumor excision and following irradiation, and is now in follow up. We present the case with review of the literatures.
Adolescent ; Brain ; Follow-Up Studies ; Frontal Lobe ; Headache ; Humans ; Male ; Neural Plate ; Neuroectodermal Tumors, Primitive* ; Neurons ; Vomiting

Intracranial calcification is relatively common, but calcification of chronic subdural hematoma is rare condition. Nevertheless, already in 1884 Von Rokitansky had described a calcified chronic subdural hematoma found at autopsy. Subsequently Lewis(1889), Elsner(1896), and O'sullivan(1925) mentioned calcification of intracranial hematoma. In 1930, Goldham reported the first case treated by operation. A 15-year-old Korean male was admitted to this hospital because of a episode of generalized epileptic seizure, one day before admission. Past history was unknown about head injury and his past birth condition. Patient has complained weakness of right upper and lower extremely since his infant. Neurological examination revealed the left hemiparesis, but others were normal. Skull X-ray films showed dense conglomerated calcific density with surrounding rim like lucency in left fronto-parietal region. Left carotid angiogram revealed no abnormalities except hypoplasia of left hemisphere. Brain computed tomogram demonstrated hyperdense subdural mass surrounding decreased parenchymal density in left fronto-parietal region. A craniectomy was performed for removal of the calcified mass. A oval concaved bony hard mass was found in subdural space. The calcified bony hard mass was adherent with the surface of cortex by loose sonnective tissue. We removed the bony hard mass completely. The postoperative course was very satisfactory and seizure has not been appeared after discharge. Microscopic findings demonstrated ossification and fibrosis, consisting with old hematoma which showed up a calcification of chronic subdural hematoma.
Adolescent ; Autopsy ; Brain ; Child* ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; Epilepsy ; Fibrosis ; Hematoma ; Hematoma, Subdural, Chronic* ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Neurologic Examination ; Paresis ; Parturition ; Seizures ; Skull ; Subdural Space ; X-Ray Film

The meningioma constitutes 12 to 16 percent of all intracranial tumors. Generally, meningiomas arise from intracranial arachnoid villi and located intracranially. Extension of an intracranial meningioma onto the frontal and ethmoidal sinus occurs occassionally, but primary meningiomas of the frontal and ethmoidal sinus are extremely rare. The authors experienced a case of cystic, meningotheliomatous meningioma containing lamellated calcification involving of the lest frontal and ethmoidal sinus, which presented with protrusion of frontal bone and exophthalmos. In addition to our case, other types of extracranial meningioma are discussed with review of literature.
Arachnoid ; Exophthalmos ; Frontal Bone ; Meningioma*

The intracranial epidural abscess is a not indenpendent disease which is practically always secondary to osteitis or osteomyelitis of overlying bone. Also it was developed from complication of frontal sinusitis, middle ear or mastoiditis, incomplete debridement of compound comminuted depressed fracture and post-operative complications. Occasionally it was derived from dural sinus thrombophlebitis especially cavernous sinus. It was frequently developed frontal and temporal region. We have experienced 5 cases of intracranial epidural abscesses for this one year. Followings are the results ; 1. The causes were complication of compound depressed fracture, chronic osteomyelitis and post-operative complications. 2. The usual symptom was headache, fever and increased lethargy. 3. The laboratory findings of CBC were the increased WBC count and ESR. The CSF findings revealed occasionally increased the cell count and sugar. 4. The pus culture revealed proteus, coliform bacilli and paracolon bacili. 5. Treatment was surgical removal of overlying diseased bone, drainage of the purulent materials and instillation of antibotics irrigation. 6. The prognosis of the 5 cases of the intracranial epidural abscess was good. There was not appeared any complication or sequelae.
Cavernous Sinus ; Cell Count ; Debridement ; Drainage ; Ear, Middle ; Enterobacteriaceae ; Epidural Abscess* ; Fever ; Frontal Sinus ; Frontal Sinusitis ; Headache ; Lethargy ; Mastoid ; Mastoiditis ; Osteitis ; Osteomyelitis ; Prognosis ; Proteus ; Suppuration ; Thrombophlebitis

Nerve-root anomalies are very uncommon, and there symptoms and signs are nearly similar with those of disc herniation. So we can misdiagnois them for intervertebral disc herniation. The negative Lasegue' sign is the only distinct feature of the nerve root anomalies. The authors report a case of Nerve-Root Anomaly associated with disc herniation in lumbar 4-5 interspace, which was diagnosed preoperatively in myelogram and confirmed surgically.
Intervertebral Disc*

Metastatic involvement of the central nervous system during the course of leukemia is an increasingly frequent occurrence because of the longer survival time brought about by the efficacious cytotoxic therapy available today. The onset of acute leukemia may be abrupt with a great variety of clinical manifestations. Most commonly, such as vomiting, headache, papilledema, lethargy and vertigo, are referable to increased intracranial pressure caused by infiltration of the cortex and meninges. The acute paraplegia as the initial symptom of acute leukemia is very rare. A case in which acute paraplegia occurred as the initial symptom of acute leukemia in a 15-year-old boy is reported.
Adolescent ; Central Nervous System ; Headache ; Humans ; Intracranial Pressure ; Lethargy ; Leukemia* ; Male ; Meninges ; Papilledema ; Paraplegia* ; Vertigo ; Vomiting

Metastatic involvement of the central nervous system during the course of leukemia is an increasingly frequent occurrence because of the longer survival time brought about by the efficacious cytotoxic therapy available today. The onset of acute leukemia may be abrupt with a great variety of clinical manifestations. Most commonly, such as vomiting, headache, papilledema, lethargy and vertigo, are referable to increased intracranial pressure caused by infiltration of the cortex and meninges. The acute paraplegia as the initial symptom of acute leukemia is very rare. A case in which acute paraplegia occurred as the initial symptom of acute leukemia in a 15-year-old boy is reported.
Adolescent ; Central Nervous System ; Headache ; Humans ; Intracranial Pressure ; Lethargy ; Leukemia* ; Male ; Meninges ; Papilledema ; Paraplegia* ; Vertigo ; Vomiting

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to assess socio-demographic, disaster-related, physical health-related, psychological, and social factors that may adversely affect disaster victims' QoL (Quality of Life). METHODS: A cross sectional study was designed by using the secondary data. From the 3rd Disaster Victims Panel Survey (2012~2017), a total of 1,659 data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics including frequency, percentage, t-test, ANOVA, and multivariate linear regression. RESULTS: Older people with lower health status lacking financial resources prior to a disaster were more at risk of low levels of QoL. Lower levels of perceived health status, resilience, and QoL were reported by disaster exposed individuals, while their depression was higher than the depression in the control group of disaster unexposed ones. Resilience, social and material supports were positively associated with QoL whereas depression and PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders) were negatively associated. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that psychological symptoms and loss due to disasters can have adverse impacts on the QoL of disaster victims in accordance with their prior socio-demographic background. They also indicate that targeted post-disaster community nursing intervention should be considered a means of increased social support as well as physical and mental health care for disaster victims.
Depression ; Disaster Victims ; Disasters ; Linear Models ; Mental Health ; Nursing ; Quality of Life ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic

BACKGROUND: Medical dispute is increasing and its effect on society is serious, but reasonable settlement system is absent. Nevertheless patients and families choose medical dispute. But there is little research on patients and their families who choose to settle by medical dispute. Therefore this study examines the impact of medical malpractice to patients and their families and their reasons for choosing medical dispute after mishap. METHODS: Data were collected from 234 subjects who inquired of Medical Malpractice Family Association about malpractice suit. Questionnaire was composed of demographic characteristics, characteristics of hospital, characteristics of medical malpractice, degree of satisfaction with explanation and attitude of the treating doctor, effect of medical malpractice on patients' life and reasons patients and their families choose to settle by medical dispute. Factor analysis with varimax rotation was carried out to reduce the reasons to a smaller number of clearly interpretable factors. Multiple regression analysis was carried out to identify the variables relevant to these main themes. RESULTS: Degree of satisfaction with doctor's explanation and attitude was less than 10%. Over 60% of respondents stated that medical malpractice seriously affected their lives. Four main themes emerged from the factor analysis of reasons for dispute which includes dissatisfaction with doctor's attitude, wanting to prevent similar incident in the future, call t? account, and compensation. The relative importance in the order of frequency was wanting to prevent similar incident in the future, dissatisfaction with doctor's attitude, call to account, followed by compensation. Multiple regression analysis was used to identify the variables relevant to these four main themes. Clinical speciality group and degree of satisfaction on attitude were signi(icantly associated with the dissatisfaction with doctor's attitude. Clinical speciality group, patient's condition, effect of medical malpractiee on life and degree of satisfaction on attitude were significantly associated with the call to account. Academic carrier, clinical speciality group, patient's condition, effect of medical malpractice on life and degree of satisfaction on attitude were significantly associated with the compensation. CONCLUSIONS: From the above results, the reasons patients and their families cheese to settle by medical dispute were diverse and associated with demographic characteristics, doctor's attitude, effect of mishap on life, et. at.
Cheese ; Compensation and Redress ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Dissent and Disputes* ; Humans ; Malpractice ; Social Responsibility