BACKGROUND: There are conflicting reports on the attenuationof the frontal N30 component of the median nerve derived somatosensory evoked potentials(MN SSEP) and the P37-N45 component of the posterior tibial nerve derived somatosensory evoked potentials(PT SSEP) in Parkinson's disease(PD). The central motor conduction time(CMCT) and the threshold of the magnetic motor evoked potentials(MEP) in PD also demonstrate inconsistent results. METHODS: We studied MN SSEP, PT SSEP and MEP in 10 patients with PD and compared them with 10 normal controls. RESULTS: The latency and amplitude of MN SSEP was normal in the patients with PD and, in particular, the frontal N30 compo-nent was not significantly depressed. There was no difference between the PD patients and the normal controls in the CMCT and the amplitude of arm and leg MEP. But compared with the normal controls, the latency of P37 cortical evoked potentials was prolonged and transmagnetic stimulation(TMS) threshold for evoking responses in relaxed or active tibialis anterior muscle decreased in the patients with PD. CONCLUSIONS: Recording of MEP threshold in tibialis anterior muscle and P37 latency of PT SSEP may be useful for the evaluation of patients with PD.
Arm ; Evoked Potentials ; Evoked Potentials, Motor* ; Humans ; Leg ; Median Nerve ; Parkinson Disease* ; Tibial Nerve

Percutaneous balloon angioplasty has been reported to be useful in the treatment of intracranial atherosclerotic arterial stenosis. However, arterial dissection with increased risk of acute closure and stroke has limited its widespread implementation. Stenting of the intracranial vasculature recently has been shown to be feasible in a variety of circumstance. However, stenting of middle cerebral artery has been limited because of difficulty with tracking stents across the carotid siphon. We report a case of successful percutaneous stenting of a symptomatic middle cerebral artery stenosis using a balloon-expandible flexible coronary stent.
Angioplasty ; Angioplasty, Balloon ; Constriction, Pathologic* ; Middle Cerebral Artery* ; Stents* ; Stroke

We analyzed 77 patients with lumbosacral radiculopathy on the basis of electromyography and radiologic study including CT scan and myelography. The results were as followings: 1. In the 62 male and 15 female subjects with a mean age of 39.3 years. The peak incidence was between ages 20 and 40 years (64%). 2. The causes of lumbosacral radiculopathy were herniated lumbosacral intervertebral disc (78%), lumbar strain (9%), fracture of lumbar vertebra (6%), spinal cord tumor (4%), spinal stenosis(3%) in order. 3. Most common involving site was L5 root on EMG and L4-5 intervertabral disc space on radiological study. 4. The prognosis of the patients with normal EMG finding was better than that of the patients with abnormal EMG finding(p<0.05). 5. There was no significant difference between the prognosis of the patients with abnormal radiologic finding and that of the patients with normal radiologic finding.
Electromyography ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Intervertebral Disc ; Male ; Myelography ; Prognosis* ; Radiculopathy* ; Spinal Cord Neoplasms ; Spine ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Protein C exerts anticoagulatory effects by inactivating factor V and VII and stimulating fibrinolysis. Hereditary protein C-deficient individuals have an increased risk of venous thrombosis and thromboembolism at young age. To our knowledge, the deep cerebral venous thrombosis associated with protein C deficiency has not been reported in Korea. A 34-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of sudden onset of headache with nausea, vomiting and ocular pain. He had suffered from recurrent deep vein thrombosis of the right lower extremity for one year. Brain MRI showed thrombosis of the straight and confluent sinuses and venous infarction of the right thalamus. The result of cerebral angiography corresponded to MRI findings. Protein C antigen concentration was decreased to 65% and its functional activity was 37%. Other coagulation test and routine blood examination was normal. The protein C level of his mother was low in both antigen and activity, but protein C levels of three siblings were normal in functional activity. We speculate that the etiology of the deep cerebral venous thrombosis in this patient is associated with protein C deficiency and suggest it is valuable to measure protein C level in patients with cerebral venous thrombosis.
Adult ; Brain ; Cerebral Angiography ; Factor V ; Fibrinolysis ; Headache ; Humans ; Infarction ; Korea ; Lower Extremity ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Mothers ; Nausea ; Protein C Deficiency* ; Protein C* ; Siblings ; Thalamus ; Thromboembolism ; Thrombosis* ; Venous Thrombosis ; Vomiting

The selection of either conventional mechanical ventilation or HFJV depends on the physical status of the patient,potential physioloic advantages and disadvantages, the requirements of the clinical situation and the capability of providing adequate oxygenation and ventilation. We have experienced that HFJV markedly improved the ventilatory status of a 52-year old male patient with severe respiratory failure due to flail chest and ruptured giant bulla refractory to conventional mechanical ventilatory support.
Anoxia* ; Flail Chest ; High-Frequency Jet Ventilation ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Oxygen ; Respiration, Artificial* ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Ventilation

The selection of either conventional mechanical ventilation or HFJV depends on the physical status of the patient,potential physioloic advantages and disadvantages, the requirements of the clinical situation and the capability of providing adequate oxygenation and ventilation. We have experienced that HFJV markedly improved the ventilatory status of a 52-year old male patient with severe respiratory failure due to flail chest and ruptured giant bulla refractory to conventional mechanical ventilatory support.
Anoxia* ; Flail Chest ; High-Frequency Jet Ventilation ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Oxygen ; Respiration, Artificial* ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Ventilation

Idiopathic intracranial hypertension, a syndrome of obscure origin, occurs particularly in fat adolescent girls and young women. The usual symptoms are headache, blurred vision, a vague dizziness, horizontal diplopia and transient visual obscurations etc., and ophthalmoscopic examination reveals papillederma, due to increased ICP. Visual field testing usually shows slight peripheral constrictions with enlargement of the blind sports. CSF pressure is elevated in the range of 250 to 450 mm of water. Radiological or the other laboratory tests show no specific abnormalities. Treatment for idiopathic intracranial hypertension is focused on early detection and prevention of vision loss, the only permanent morbidity. Many different modes of medical treatment, including weight reduction, repeated lumber puncture, corticosteroids, diuretics, glycerol or carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, have successfully been tried up to 90% of the patients. In the remaining patients, particularly in those with measurable impairment of vision that does not respond to conventinal medical therapies, surgical procedure should be considered. We report a case of idiopathic intracranial hypertension successfully treated with optic nerve sheath fenestration.
Adolescent ; Adrenal Cortex Hormones ; Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors ; Constriction ; Diplopia ; Diuretics ; Dizziness ; Female ; Glycerol ; Headache ; Humans ; Optic Nerve* ; Pseudotumor Cerebri* ; Punctures ; Sports ; Visual Field Tests ; Water ; Weight Loss

Mitochondnal encephalomyopathies are multisysternic diseases affecting predominantly the CNS and skeletal muscLes by mitochondrial dysfunction. Mitochondrial diseases include three distinct syndromes: mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes (MELAS): myoclonus epilepsy associated with ragged-red fibers (MERRF):and chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia(CPEO). A characteristic abnormality called "ragged-red fibers" is usually seen on histochemical evaluation of muscle biopsy specimens in these diseases. The characteristic clinical presentations of MELAS are short stature, recurrent stroke like episodes, migraine-like headache, sensorineural hearmg loss, glucose intolerance and neuropathy. We now report a case of MELAS syndrome confirmed by demonstrating "ragged-red fibers" and abnormal mitochondria in muscle biopsy.
Biopsy ; Epilepsies, Myoclonic ; Glucose Intolerance ; Headache ; MELAS Syndrome* ; Mitochondria ; Mitochondrial Diseases ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Stroke

BACKGROUND & SIGNIFICANCE: Focal seizures are usually due to an underlying structural lesion of the brain but occasionally caused by metabolic disturbances such as nonketotic hyperglycemia (NKH). Reflex focal seizures associated with NKH have been reported. CASE: The 69 year-old man was admitted in our hospital due to clonic movements of the right leg. His seizures did not occur spontaneously but were provoked by active or passive movements and tactile stimulation of the affected leg. The convulsive movements of the right leg often spread to the left leg without involving any other parts of his body. The seizures regressed with the control of hyperglycemia only. COMMENT: We report a patient presented with reflex focal seizures as the initial manifest-ation of NKH.
Aged ; Brain ; Humans ; Hyperglycemia* ; Leg ; Reflex* ; Seizures*

PURPOSE: The incidence of nonphysiologic neonatal hyperbilirubinemia is twice as high in East Asians as in whites. Recently, UGT1A1 mutation was found to be a risk factor for neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. In congenitally-jaundiced Gunn rats, which lack expression of UDP-glucuronosyltransferase, alternative pathways can be stimulated by inducers of CYP1A1 and CYP1A2 enzymes. CYP1A2 plays a major role in bilirubin degradation of the alternate pathway. We studied the relationship between UGT1A1 and CYP1A2 gene polymorphism of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia in Koreans. METHODS: Seventy-nine Korean full term neonates who had hyperbilirubinemia(serum bilirubin >12 mg/dL) without obvious causes of jaundice, were analyzed for UGT1A1 and CYP1A2 gene polymorphism; the control group was sixty-eight. We detected the polymorphism of Gly71Arg of UGT1A1 gene by direct sequencing and T2698G of CYP1A2 by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism(PCR-RFLP) using MboII and direct sequencing. RESULTS: Allele frequency of Gly71Arg mutation in the hyperbilirubinemia group was 32 percent, which was significantly higher than 11 percent in the control group(P<0.0001). Mutant gene frequency of T2698G was 41.8 percent in patients and 32.3 percent in the control group(P=0.015), but allele frequency was 21 percent in patients and 19 percent in the control group, which was not significantly higher(P=0.706). There was no relationship between mutations of two genes(P=0.635). CONCLUSION: The polymorphism of UGT1A1 gene(Gly71Arg) and CYP1A2 gene(T2698G) was detected in Korean neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. Only polymorphisms of Gly71Arg in UGT1A1 were significantly higher than control group.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Bilirubin ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1 ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A2* ; Gene Frequency ; Humans ; Hyperbilirubinemia ; Hyperbilirubinemia, Neonatal* ; Incidence ; Infant, Newborn* ; Jaundice ; Rats, Gunn ; Risk Factors