Compared to the lumbar region, it is very rare to encounter far lateral disc herniation in the cervical spine, and because of this, correct diagnosis before surgery is difficult: the condition can, however, be identified through the use of advanced MRI imaging techniques. In this case, far lateral disc herniation at C7-T1 was effectivery removed through posterior laminoforaminotomy, and soon after surgery, the patient's symptoms showed complete remission.
Diagnosis ; Lumbosacral Region ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Spine

In advent of high-resolutional CT and MRI, it is not so difficult to detect the lumbar synovial cyst, however the unusual disease should be included in the differential diagnosis of cauda equine compression syndromes. The case of a 55-year-old man who had a low back pain and severe radiating pain on both legs showed a retrolisthesis at L3-4 and L4-5 and epidural enhancing mass just around L4-5 facet joint on MRI. Microscopically a lining of synovial tissue was demonstrated. After surgery of the total resection of synovial cyst and stabilization, the patient's presenting symptoms were improved.
Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Leg ; Low Back Pain ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Middle Aged ; Synovial Cyst* ; Zygapophyseal Joint

Recently, many authors have reported about the relationship of the volumes of hemorrhage in the brain parenchyma, hemorrhagic sites, optimal operation time, and the effects of mannitol and steroid on control of ICP to clinical manifestations. Many attempts to measure ICP in hydrocephalus, brain tumor, and head injury have been reported. But the measurements of intracranial pressure in spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage are rare. Intracranial pressure was monitored prospectively in 30 patients who had stereotaxic surgery for spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage. The results are as follows. 1. Intracranial pressure was increased in high PaCO₂. 2. There were no correlation in ICP, rebleeding and ADL ad discharge (P>0.05). 3. ICP was the most high level in 72 hours after operation. 4. There was 63.2% decrease in ICP after irrigation with 6000 IU urokinase in the site of hemorrhage. 5. There was no correlation between the numbers of natural drainage and ADL at discharge (P>0.05). 6. The higher the initial GCS, the higher the postoperative GCS.
Activities of Daily Living ; Brain ; Brain Neoplasms ; Cerebral Hemorrhage* ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; Drainage ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus ; Intracranial Pressure* ; Mannitol ; Prospective Studies ; Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator

One hundred thirty-five patients undergone microdiscectomy of lumbar disc disease were analysed with soft-ware program which designed for effective analysis for spinal in-patients since February, 1990. Owing to that program, all the patients could be easily analyzed and get a regular follow-up. The surgical result was evaluated by our own score rating system which consists of 4 items:1) Frequency of medication, 2) Degree of social activity, 3) Post-operative symptom compared to pre-operative state and 4) Patient's satisfaction with the operation. According to that system, 21 patients(15.6%) were estimated with failure following microdiscectomy. Among them 6 patients of psychosocial problem, 4 patients of technical errors and 2 patients of recurrence were an important causes of failure. For the purpose of effective surgery for lumbar disc surgery, a careful analysis of the cases of surgical failure should be attempted and also a regular follow-up can be importment factor for more accurate estimation of surgical result.
Failed Back Surgery Syndrome* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Recurrence

OBJECTIVE: Lumbar foraminal or extraforaminal disc herniations (FEFDH) have unusual clinical features and higher incidence in elderly patients compared to usual intraspinal canal disc herniations. We evaluated the efficacy of microdiscectomy via paramedian approach for lumbar FEFDH in elderly patients over the age of 65. METHODS: Retrospective study was performed in 68 patients over the age of 65 (23 male and 45 female patients; 71.46±3.87 years) who underwent microdiscectomy via paramedian approach for unilateral lumbar FEFDH causing sciatica. The radiological factors including degree of slippage, presence of instability, disc height, and degree of disc degeneration; pain and functional status by the means of visual analogue scale score, Oswestry Disability Index score, and Macnab classification were analyzed preoperatively and during the postoperative follow-up period of 3 years to evaluate the efficacy of the surgical treatment. RESULTS: Pain and functional status improved according to short- and long-term follow-up evaluations after surgery. Radiological changes following surgery, which can be understood as structural deteriorations and deformations, did not represent patient condition. Nine patients underwent additional surgery due to sustained or recurring leg pain of aggravation of back pain, and fusion surgery was required for 3 patients. Degree of preoperative slippage was the only statistically significant factor related to additional surgery (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Microdiscectomy via paramedian approach for FEFDH may be a good surgical alternative in elderly patients. Radiological changes after surgery did not show a concordance with patients' actual functional status. The excessive preoperative slippage tended to lead to unfavorable result after surgery and was associated with additional surgery.
Aged* ; Back Pain ; Classification ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Incidence ; Intervertebral Disc Degeneration ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement ; Leg ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Sciatica

Usually cases of brain stem hemorrhage reveal high mortality and poor prognosis in spite of meticulous medical or surgical treatment. Recently we experienced stereotaxic evacuation of brain stem hemorrhage with Brown-Robert-Wells(B.R.W.) system in four cases. If there were residual hemorrhage after initial aspiration, those were evacuated with Urokinase irrigation via stereotaxically placed catheter in the hematoma. The entry point of our operation get on the crossing point of midpupillary line and 1cm behind coronal structure. Preliminary results : 1) Volume of removed hematoma : 5ml(average). 2) Dates of urokinase irrigation : 2 to 4 days after operation. 3) No hydrocephalus, no surgical mortality. 4) Average Glasgow coma scale was improved from 6 in preoperative state to 12 in postoperative state. 5) Operation was performed within 24 hours. 6) Advantages of our procedure. (1) Accurate, simple and safe. (2) Under local anesthesia. (3) Less traumatic procedure. (4) Could remove hematoma completely with Urokinase.
Anesthesia, Local ; Brain Stem* ; Brain* ; Catheters ; Glasgow Coma Scale ; Hematoma ; Hemorrhage* ; Hydrocephalus ; Mortality ; Prognosis ; Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator

Tuberous sclerosis is reported rarely and is associated with systemic lesions including central nervous system, skin, heart, eye and kidney. Approximately 5-15% of individuals with tuberous sclerosis will develop brain neoplasia, almost invariably subependymal giant-cell astrocytoma (SGCA). We experienced a case of SGCA with tuberous sclerosis operated by the transcallosal approach and report with literature review.
Astrocytoma* ; Brain ; Central Nervous System ; Heart ; Kidney ; Skin ; Tuberous Sclerosis*

Clinical and cerebral angiographic findings were reviews retrospectively in thirty-seven patients with intracranial artero-venous malformation(AVM). The results were as follow. Many opatients who were in reproductive age had visited due to seiure(27%) and its angiographic findings were mixed Type(80%). Bleeding was predominant in the patients who had small sized nidus than medium or large one, and deep draining vein than superficial one. Medium sized AVM was located mainly in the anatomically deep portion(71%) and drained to deep portion also(71%). Associated aneurysm was more prevalent in deep seated or large sized AVM. Low grade AVM according to Spetzler's grading system showed good results of treatment. Postoperative hemorrhage or sizure were frequently found in patients who had superfically located AVM.
Aneurysm ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Intracranial Arteriovenous Malformations* ; Postoperative Hemorrhage ; Retrospective Studies ; Veins

Sixty five patients of lumbar spondylolisthesis were treated with pedicle screw fixation during last 3-years. Roy-Camille plate system has been used in 17 patients, steffee system in 41 and Puno/Winter/Byrd(PWB) system in 7. We analysed the changes of symptoms and radiological findings during follow-up observation(average 15 months). After surgery the average time for low back pain reduction was 7 months, Twenty patients(3%) complained a graft donor site pain initially, but almost except one were alleviated after 7.3 months later on an average. Radiologically the reducton degree of the displacement was from 24% on preoperative state to 12% on last follow-up and pseudoarthrosis rate was 8%. Surgical result was evaluated by our score rating system, according to that system 64.5% of the patients had satisfactory result.
Follow-Up Studies* ; Humans ; Low Back Pain ; Pseudarthrosis ; Spondylolisthesis* ; Tissue Donors ; Transplants

A case of upper thoracic vertebral hemangioma with epidural mass is reported. Preoperative selective angiography with embolization is the procedure of choice for reducing intraoperative bleeding. There was progressive postoperative improvement of the myelopathy.
Angiography ; Hemangioma* ; Hemorrhage ; Spinal Cord Diseases