OBJECTIVE: The study reports the clinical outcomes and complication rates of microsurgical clipping of unruptured paraclinoid aneurysms. METHODS: From July 1997 to December 2008, 61 patients underwent microsurgical clipping for 61 unruptured paraclinoid aneurysms in our institute. Entire medical records, radiographic data, and operation records were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: After the microsurgical clipping, complete obstruction was achieved in 56 patients (91.8%). Visual disturbance (nine cases, 14.8%) was the most frequent complication. Overall, 59 patients (96.7%) had a good long-term outcome (Glasgow outcome scale score of 4-5 3 months post-operatively). CONCLUSION: For patients with paraclinoid aneurysms, satisfactory outcomes can be achieved by microneurosurgical management. These results will be useful when considering treatment of an unruptured paraclinoid aneurysm.
Aneurysm ; Humans ; Medical Records

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the immediate and delayed effects of electrical stimulation of sensory nerve pathway on spasticity in patients with brain lesions. METHOD: Sixteen stroke and traumatic brain injured subjects participated in this study. Electrical stimulation on the der matome of spastic muscles was applied for 30 minutes a day for 4 weeks. Spasticity was quantified through the use of a relaxation index obtained from pendulum test and a amplitude and latency from knee tendon reflex test. The measurements were performed 6 times in treatment period. The data were analyzed by repeated measures one way ANOVA. RESULTS: Relaxation index was significantly increased in treatment period (p<0.05). In each therapeutic stimulation session, relaxation index of post-stimulation was increased in comparison with that of pre-stimulation (p<0.01). The amplitude of post-stimulation was significantly decreased in comparison with pre-stimulation status in each measurement session (p<0.01). The latency of tendon reflex was not changed after stimulation. CONCLUSION: These results showed that the electrical stimulation was useful method to decrease spasticity in patients with brain lesions. Further studies are needed to explore the effects of functional improvement and the long-lasting carry over effects on spasticity in electrical stimulation.
Brain* ; Electric Stimulation ; Electric Stimulation Therapy* ; Humans ; Knee ; Muscle Spasticity* ; Muscles ; Reflex, Stretch ; Relaxation ; Stroke

Glycogenic acanthosis(GA) of the esophagus,is often found in routine endoscopic examination of the upper GI tract but has not drawn much attention. However, there is controversy concerning the nature, clinical significance and prevalence of this candition. An endoscopic study, performed in 1041 patients, showed that the incidence of GA was 32,9%. Its incidence was found to be significantly higher in male than in female(40.0% vs. 22.1%; p<0.0001) and frequency of high grade(II+III) GA was higher in male than in female(58.1% vs. 45.3~%; p<0.0D01). An increasing tendency was observed with respect to age(X 36~343, p~<0,0001). The frequency of GA was higher in smoker than in non-smoker(49.2% vs. 20.8%; p<0.0001). GA did not have a clear relationship with alcohol intake, dietary habit, condiments, and diet temperature. The frequency of GA was higher in the patient with reflux esophagitis than without reflux esophagitis(3.8% vs. 1.7%; p~<0.05). Therefore, age, sex and smoking appear to be risk factors of GA, as in esophageal carcinoma.
Condiments ; Diet ; Esophagitis, Peptic ; Esophagus ; Food Habits ; Glycogen* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Upper Gastrointestinal Tract

Multiple primary malignant neoplasms (MPMN) are defined by the presence of multiple primary cancers of multicentric origin and/or different tissues. The incidence of MPMN is less than 1% in Korea and recently seems to be increased due to early detection of cancer and prolonged survival of cancer patients. Previous investigations suggest that non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) may be associated with chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The pathogenesis of this association is thought to be due to chronic antigenic stimulation, the presence of HBsAg, and immunosuppressive therapy. We report a case of synchronous NHL and HCC in a 54-year-old man which is thought to be associated with hepatitis B virus infection. Pathological examination and immunohistochemical study of neck lymph node and liver mass biopsies showed diffuse large cell lymphoma and HCC, respectively. He was treated initially with EPOCH (etoposide, vincristine, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide and prednisolone) chemotherapy for NHL and transarterial chemoembolization with doxorubicin, mitomycin-c, lipiodol, and gelfoam for HCC.
Biopsy ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular* ; Cyclophosphamide ; Doxorubicin ; Drug Therapy ; Early Detection of Cancer ; Ethiodized Oil ; Gelatin Sponge, Absorbable ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; Hepatitis B virus ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Liver ; Liver Diseases ; Lymph Nodes ; Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse ; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin* ; Middle Aged ; Mitomycin ; Neck ; Vincristine

Intussusception is defined as the telescoping of one segment of the gastrointestinal tract into an adjacent one. The incidence of the adult intussusception is low. It constitutes approximately 5% of all intussusception and accounts for 5% of all cases of intestinal obstruction in adult. The clinical feature in adults is not typical. General symptoms and signs of intestinal obstruction dominate the clinical feature of intussusception in adult. The classic appearance of intussusception on barium studies is the coil spring appearance as contrast is trapped between the intussusceptum and intussuscipiens. Ultrasound and CT scan shows a target-like lesion. Colonofiberscopy shows a round invaginated mass with congested mucosa and by air inflation, round mass is decreased in size and is changed in shape. Differential diagnosis can be made by colonofiberscopy because the most common cause of colonic intussusception in adult is a primary colon cancer. A case of diverticulitis associated with intussusception diagnosed by colonofiberscopy in a 72 years old man was presented with brief review of the literature.
Adult ; Aged ; Barium ; Colon ; Colonic Neoplasms ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Diverticulitis* ; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP) ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Humans ; Incidence ; Inflation, Economic ; Intestinal Obstruction ; Intussusception ; Mucous Membrane ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Ultrasonography

OBJECTIVES: Polymethylmethacrylate(PMMA) is often used to reconstruct the spine after total corpectomy, but the exothermic curing of liquid PMMA poses a risk of thermal injury to the spinal cord. The purposes of this study are to analyze the heat blocking effect of pre-polymerized PMMA sheet in the corpectomy model and to establish the minimal thickness of PMMA sheet to protect the spinal cord from the thermal injury during PMMA cementation of vertebral body. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An experimental fixture was fabricated with dimensions similar to those of a T12 corpectomy defect. Sixty milliliters of liquid PMMA were poured into the fixture, and temperature recordings were obtained at the center of the curing PMMA mass and on the undersurface(representing the spinal cord surface) of a pre-polymerized PMMA sheet of variable thickness(group 1:0mm, group 2:5mm, or group 3:8mm). Six replicates were tested for each barrier thickness group. RESULTS: Consistent temperatures(106.8+/-3.9degreesC) at center of the curing PMMA mass in eighteen experiments confirmed the reproducibility of the experimental fixture. Peak temperatures on the spinal cord surface were 47.3degreesC in group 2, and 43.3degreesC in group 3, compared with 60.0degreesC in group 1(p<0.00005). So pre-polymerized PMMA provided statistically significant protection from heat transfer. The difference of peak temperature between theoretical and experimental value was less than 1%, while the predicted time was within 35% of experimental values. The data from the theoretical model indicate that a 10mm barrier of PMMA should protect the spinal cord from temperatures greater than 39degreesC(the threshold for thermal injury in the spinal cord). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that pre-polymerized PMMA sheet of 10mm thickness may protect the spinal cord from the thermal injury during PMMA reconstruction of vertebral body.
Cementation ; Hot Temperature ; Models, Theoretical ; Polymethyl Methacrylate* ; Spinal Cord* ; Spine

OBJECTIVES: An in vitro biomechanical study of posterior lumbar interbody fusion(PLIF) with threaded cage using two different approaches was performed on eighteen functional spinal units of bovine lumbar spines. The purpose of this study was to compare the segmental stiffnesses among PLIF with one long posterolateral cage, PLIF with one long posterolateral cage and simultaneous facet joint fixation, and PLIF with two posterior cages. METHODS: Eighteen bovine lumbar functional spinal units were divided into three groups. All specimens were tested intact and with cage insertion. Group 1(n=12) had a long threaded cage(15x36mm) inserted posterolaterally and oriented counter anterolaterally on the left side by posterior approach with left unilateral facetectomy. Group 2(n=6) had two regular length cages(15x24mm) inserted posteriorly with bilateral facetectomy. Six specimens from group 1 were then retested after unilateral facet joint screw fixation in neutral(group 3). Likewise, the other six specimens from group 1 were retested after fixation with a facet joint screw in an extended position(group 4). Nondestructive tests were performed in pure compression, flexion, extension, lateral bending, and torsion. RESULTS: PLIF with a single cage, group 1, had a significantly higher stiffnesses than PLIF with two cages, group 2, in left and right torsion(p<0.05). Group 1 showed higher stiffness values than group 2 in pure compression, flexion, left and right bending but were not significantly different. Group 3 showed a significant increase in stiffness in comparison to group 1 for pure compression, extension, left bending and right torsion(p<0.05). For group 4, the stiffness significantly increased in comparison to group 1 for extension, flexion and right torsion(p<0.05). Although there was no significant difference between groups 3 and 4, group 4 had increased stiffness in extension, flexion, right bending and torsion. CONCLUSION: Posterior lumbar interbody fusion with a single long threaded cage inserted posterolaterally with unilateral facetectomy enables sufficient decompression while maintaining a majority of the posterior elements. In combination with a facet joint screw fixation, adequate postoperative stability can be achieved. We suggest that posterolateral insertion of a long threaded cage is biomechanically an ideal alternative to PLIF.
Decompression ; Spine ; Zygapophyseal Joint

PURPOSE: To maintain the patient's quality of life, surgeons strive to preserve the sphincter during rectal cancer surgery. This study evaluated the oncologic safety of a sphincter-saving resection with a distal resection margin (DRM) <1 cm without radiotherapy in T3, mid- or low-rectal cancer. METHODS: This retrospective study enrolled 327 patients who underwent a sphincter-saving resection for proven T3 rectal cancer located <10 cm from the anal verge and without radiotherapy between January 1995 and December 2011. The oncologic outcomes included the 5-year cancer-specific survival, the local recurrence, and the systemic recurrence rates. RESULTS: In groups A (DRM < or =1 cm) and B (DRM >1 cm), the 5-year cancer-specific survival rates were 81.57% and 80.03% (P = 0.8543), the 5-year local recurrence rates were 6.69% and 9.52% (P = 0.3981), and the 5-year systemic recurrence rates were 19.46% and 23.11% (P = 0.5750), respectively. CONCLUSION: This study showed that the close DRM itself should not be a contraindication for a sphincter-saving resection for T3 mid- or low-rectal cancer without radiotherapy. However, a prospective randomized controlled trial including the effect of adjuvant therapy will be needed.
Humans ; Quality of Life ; Radiotherapy* ; Rectal Neoplasms ; Recurrence* ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate

Superficial spreading stomach cancer, as first described by Stout in 1942, is superficially spreading cancer confined to mucosa and submucosa, and measuring up to 10 cm in diameter. Clinical manifestation is peptic ulcer like symptom with a long duration, and a gross appearance is characterized by reddening, irregular and slight nodular thickening of the involved mucosa. We should be careful to differentiate chronic atrophie gastritis or multiple superficial gastric erosions from superficial spreading stomach cancer. It is classified to a subtype of early gastric cancer type Ilc(IIc'') and the prognosis is as good as early gastric cancer. A 60-yearold woman was admitted to our hospital because of epigastric pain for 2 years. She was confirmed to have superficial spreading stomach cancer by gastroduodenoscopy, endoseopic ultrasonography, and operation. We report a case of superficial spreading stomach cancer with a review of relevant literatures.
Female ; Gastritis ; Humans ; Mucous Membrane ; Peptic Ulcer ; Prognosis ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Stomach* ; Ultrasonography

Acute pancreatitis due to impaction of Ascaris lumbricoides into the pancreatic duct is very rare. Authors hnve experienced one case of pancreatic ascariasis. Patient was a 62-year-old female with epigastric pain. Abdominal USG and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography showed characteristic finding of pancreatic ascariasis. Ascaris was removed with palypectomy snare and acute pancreatitis was resolved completely.
Ascariasis ; Ascaris lumbricoides* ; Ascaris* ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Pancreatic Ducts* ; Pancreatitis* ; SNARE Proteins