The crossing laminar screw fixation might be the most recently developed approach among various fixation techniques for C2. The new construct has stability comparable to transarticular or transpedicular screw fixation without risk of vertebral artery injury. Quantitative anatomical studies about C2 vertebra suggest significant variation in the thickness of C2 lamina as well as cross sectional area of junction of lamina and spinous process. We present an elderly patient who underwent an occipito-cervical stabilization incorporating crossed C2 laminar screw fixation. We preoperatively recognized that she had low profiles of C2 lamina, and thus made a modification of trajectory for the inferiorly crossing screw. We introduce a simple modification of crossing C2 laminar screw technique to improve stability in patients with low laminar profiles.
Aged ; Humans ; Spine ; Vertebral Artery

Objective: To examine the features of powered mobility device-related injuries and identify the predictors of injury severity in such settings. Methods: Emergency Department-based Injury In-depth Surveillance data from 2011 to 2018 were used in this retrospective study. Participants were assigned to the mild/moderate and severe groups based on their excess mortality ratio–adjusted injury severity score and their general injury-related factors and injury outcome-related factors were compared. Results: Of 407 patients, 298 (79.2%) were assigned to the mild/moderate group and 109 (26.8%) to the severe group. The severe group included a higher percentage of patients aged 70 years or older (43.0% vs. 59.6%, P=0.003), injuries incurred in the daytime (72.6% vs. 82.4%, P=0.044), injuries from traffic accidents and falls (P=0.042), head injuries (38.6% vs. 80.7%, P<0.001), torso injuries (16.8% vs. 32.1%, P=0.001), overall hospital admission (28.5% vs. 82.6%, P<0.001), intensive care unit admission (1.7% vs. 37.6%, P<0.001), death after admission (1.4% vs. 10.3%, P=0.034), and total mortality (0.7% vs. 9.2%, P<0.001). The odds ratios (ORs) for injury severity were as follows: age 70 years or older (OR, 2.124; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.239–3.642), head injury (OR, 10.441; 95% CI, 5.465–19.950), and torso injury (OR, 4.858; 95% CI, 2.495–9.458). Conclusion The proportions of patients aged 70 years or older, head and torso injuries, injuries from traffic accidents and falls, and injuries in the daytime were higher in the severe group. Our results highlight the need for measures to address these factors to lower the incidence of severe injuries.

Objective: To examine the features of powered mobility device-related injuries and identify the predictors of injury severity in such settings. Methods: Emergency Department-based Injury In-depth Surveillance data from 2011 to 2018 were used in this retrospective study. Participants were assigned to the mild/moderate and severe groups based on their excess mortality ratio–adjusted injury severity score and their general injury-related factors and injury outcome-related factors were compared. Results: Of 407 patients, 298 (79.2%) were assigned to the mild/moderate group and 109 (26.8%) to the severe group. The severe group included a higher percentage of patients aged 70 years or older (43.0% vs. 59.6%, P=0.003), injuries incurred in the daytime (72.6% vs. 82.4%, P=0.044), injuries from traffic accidents and falls (P=0.042), head injuries (38.6% vs. 80.7%, P<0.001), torso injuries (16.8% vs. 32.1%, P=0.001), overall hospital admission (28.5% vs. 82.6%, P<0.001), intensive care unit admission (1.7% vs. 37.6%, P<0.001), death after admission (1.4% vs. 10.3%, P=0.034), and total mortality (0.7% vs. 9.2%, P<0.001). The odds ratios (ORs) for injury severity were as follows: age 70 years or older (OR, 2.124; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.239–3.642), head injury (OR, 10.441; 95% CI, 5.465–19.950), and torso injury (OR, 4.858; 95% CI, 2.495–9.458). Conclusion The proportions of patients aged 70 years or older, head and torso injuries, injuries from traffic accidents and falls, and injuries in the daytime were higher in the severe group. Our results highlight the need for measures to address these factors to lower the incidence of severe injuries.

Fractures of lumbo-sacral junction involving bilateral sacral wings are rare. Posterior lumbo-sacral fixation does not always provide with sufficient stability in such cases. Various augmentation techniques including divergent sacral ala screws, S2 pedicle screws and Galveston rods have been reported to improve lumbo-sacral stabilization. Galveston technique using iliac bones would be the best surgical approach especially in patients with bilateral comminuted sacral fractures. However, original Galveston surgery is technically demanding and bending rods into the appropriate alignment is time consuming. We present a patient with unstable lumbo-sacral junction fractures and comminuted U-shaped sacral fractures treated by lumbo-sacro-pelvic fixation using iliac screws and discuss about the advantages of the iliac screws over the rod system of Galveston technique.
Humans

Infundibular dilatation is funnel-shaped symmetrical enlargement that occurs at the origin of cerebral arteries and which is apparent on 7 to 25% of normal angiograms 3,4,7,10,12,13,15). Infundibular dilatation is frequently considered a normal anatomic variation of no pathologic significance. The authors report a case in which an aneurysm developed on an infundibular dilatation of the posterior communicating artery (PComA). A 72-year-old woman presented with severe headache, nausea, and vomiting. Digital subtraction angiography showed a saccular aneurysm arising from the origin of the left PComA. Operative findings revealed the aneurysm and infundibular widening of the right PComA. The aneurysm was successfully obliterated. Whether infundibular dilatation is a pre-aneurysmal state or a benign dilatation is controversial. However, we believe infundibular dilatation of the PComA in this case may have served as a pre-aneurysmal lesion.
Aged ; Anatomic Variation ; Aneurysm* ; Angiography, Digital Subtraction ; Arteries* ; Cerebral Arteries ; Dilatation ; Female ; Headache ; Humans ; Nausea ; Vomiting

An Intramedullary subependymoma of the spinal cord is a rare tumor with only 43 reported cases in the literature. Most of them are reported to be localized within the cervical spinal cord. We report a rare case of a thoracic spine intramedullary subependymoma in a 37-year-old female who presented with back pain and radiating leg pain. Subtotal resection and post-operative radiotherapy were performed. Subependymomas developing in the spinal cord are benign with a low proliferative potential. Complete resection of the tumor appears to be the optimal method for a complete cure. However aggressive surgery may cause severe neurological deficit. Therefore, if severe neurological deficits are expected after complete removal, a partial removal and postoperative radiation therapy is an alternative method for treatment in selected cases. A large-scale randomized study is mandatory to clarify the effectiveness of radiotherapy and to establish the recurrence rate and prognosis with respect to the surgical removal of these tumors.
Adult ; Back Pain ; Female ; Glioma, Subependymal* ; Humans ; Leg ; Prognosis ; Radiotherapy ; Recurrence ; Spinal Cord* ; Spine

The dissecting aneurysms of the posterior cerebral circulation arise most commonly from the vertebral artery and occasionally extend to the posterior inferior cerebellar artery(PICA). The dissecting aneurysm localized in the PICA without involving the vertebral artery is rare. We present a PICA dissecting aneurysm that had kaleidoscopic clinical course of bleeding, occlusion, and recanalization before the surgery. The patient had serial follow-up angiograms based on significant changes of clinical status. The patient successfully underwent microsurgical trapping with clips for the dissecting aneurysm and showed neurological improvement.
Aneurysm, Dissecting* ; Arteries* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Pica ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage ; Vertebral Artery

OBJECTIVE: Transsphenoidal approach(TSA) has been used as useful operative method for pituitary tumor but is still controversal in case of cavernous sinus invasion or severe suprasellar extension. This study was performed to evaluate the surgical result, recurrence, effect of adjuvant treatment, especially in cases of suprasellar extension or cavernous sinus invasion. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We studied 56 cases of surgically treated pituitary adenoma that we were able to follow up, treated by TSA from 1993 to 1998. There were 24 cases of suprasellar extension and 11 cases of cavernous sinus invasion. The medical records and radiological findings were reviewed. Surgical results including hormonal function and recurrence rates were analyzed according to extent of tumor invasion. Mean follow-up period was 19.1 months. RESULTS: Tumors with suprasellar extension were removed totally in 54%, whereas total tumor removal was possible only in 38% with cavernous sinus invasion. Overall of recurrence rate was 14% and recurrence rate was 25% in suprasellar extension and 9% in cavernous sinus invasion. In cases of both suprasellar extension and cavernous sinus invasion, tumors that were treated by TSA and radiation showed recurrence rate of 7%, whereas those treated by surgery alone showed 28% of recurrence. CONCLUSION: Transsphenoidal approach is safe and useful operative method for pituitary adenoma and adjuvant therapy including radiation therapy is effective means to decrease the recurrence in cases of suprasellar extension or cavernous sinus invasion.
Cavernous Sinus ; Follow-Up Studies ; Medical Records ; Pituitary Neoplasms* ; Recurrence

Regarding the bilateral vertebral artery (VA) dissecting aneurysms, treatment strategy remains controversial because there have not been enough cases to reach a conclusion on the best treatment. We present a patient underwent staged microsurgical trapping and endovascular coiling for each dissecting aneurysm of bilateral VA presenting subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). The ruptured side was managed by VA trapping procedure without any neurological deficit. Postoperative cerebral angiography revealed patent right PICA without filling of previous right dissecting aneurysm and spontaneous occlusion of the left dissecting aneurysm one month after trapping procedure. However, follow-up angiography revealed recanalization and growing of the left VA dissecting aneurysm one year after the operation. The patient underwent endovascular embolization using GDC for the proximal occlusion of the left VA and postoperative course was uneventful.
Aneurysm ; Aneurysm, Dissecting* ; Angiography ; Cerebral Angiography ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Humans ; Pica ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage ; Vertebral Artery*

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: We previously reported the effects of MAC (Maximum Arterial Re-Creation) stent on stent restenosis in a porcine model. The clinical trial was performed in patients with ischemic heart disease after MAC stent implantation. MATERIALS AND METHOD: We analyzed the clinical and angiographic results in 20 patients in 22 lesions (15 M, 5 F, 59+/-11 year), who underwent MAC stent at Chonnam University Hospital between Nov '97 and Aug '98. Clinical diagnosis was 13 unstable angina (65%), 6 acute myocardial infarction (30%) and 1 old myocardial infarction (5%). RESULTS: Indications for stent were 3 de novo lesion (13.6%), 7 restenosis (31.8%), 8 suboptimal angioplasty result (36.4%) and 4 bail-out procedure (18.2%). Target stented coronary arteries were 15 left anterior descending coronary arteries (67.3%), 2 left circumflex coronary arteries (9.1%) and 5 right coronary arteries (22.7%). Morphologic types were 13 type B1 (59.1%), 5 B2 (22.7%) and 4 C (18.2%). Minimal luminal diameter (MLD) before stent was 0.75+/-0.35 mm and percent diameter stenosis (DS) was 75+/-11.5%, which were improved 2.97+/-0.28 mm in MLD and 2.79+/-5.4% in DS after stent. MAC stent was placed successfully in all patients and one case of acute stent thrombosis was improved after ReoPro infusion. Mean follow-up period was 5.2+/-3.2 months and 100 % event-free survival was observed in all patients. Follow-up coronary angiography was performed in 5 patients and showed no stent restenosis. CONCLUSION: The MAC stent is one of effective and safe devices in the treatment of coronary artery diseases without significant complications and target vessel revascularization.
Angina, Unstable ; Angioplasty ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Coronary Vessels ; Diagnosis ; Disease-Free Survival ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Jeollanam-do ; Myocardial Infarction ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Phenobarbital ; Stents* ; Thrombosis