We have experienced 43 cases of the hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage who were admitted to the Catholic medical Center, Seoul from November 1969 to February 1973. All these cases were diagnosed by clinical findings and cerebral angiography and assessed the prognostic factors on the result of treatment. The results of the analysis were summarized as follows: 1. Age distribution was ranged from 26 to 67, and 79 per cent of them were in fourth and fifth decade. The ratio of male to female was about 3 to 1. 2. The most frequent site of the hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage was in the basal ganglia in 76.7 per cent, 27.2 percent of them in the thalamic hemorrhage and 39.5 per cent in the external capsular hemorrhage. The remainder were 9.3 per cent in the subcortical hemorrhage, 11.6 per cent in the pontine hemorrhage and 2.4 per cent in the cerebellar hemorrhage. 3. In the past history, hypertension was noted in 88.3 per cent of them. Simple chest X-ray showed cardiomegaly in 58.1 per cent and left ventricular hypertrophy was found in 41.1 per cent on E.C.G. findings. 4. All of 43 cases had unconscious state with various level at the onset of illness. For 43 cases, 46.5 per cent was in transient impairment of consciousness or drowsy state and 53.6 per cent in stuporous or comatous state. Headache was experienced in 81.3 per cent and 58.1 per cent of them was associated with vomiting. 5. During hospital course improvement of conscious level to alert state was found in 25.6 per cent and drowsy state in 18.6 per cent of all cases. On the aspect of the site of hemorrhage, 81.3 % of the thalamic hemorrhage and all pontine hemmorhage cases had shown stuporous or comatous conscious level. On the other hand, 70.6 per cent of the external capsular hemorrhage and all of the subcortical hemorrhage was found in alert or drowsy state. 6. On the neurological findings, anisocoria was noted in 18.8 per cent, miotic pupil in 20.7 per cent of all cases and pin-point pupils in pontine hemorrhage exclusively. Normal extraocular movement was noted in 60.4 per cent, conjugate deviation in 9.7 per cent of all cases. Inward and downward deviation of the eye-ball was found in 50 per cent of the thalamic hemorrhage. Dissociated eye-ball movement and occular bobbing were noted in the pontine hemorrhage. Motor impairment developed in all cases except one of the subcortical hemorrhage. Hemiplegia or hemiparesis was noted in 86.1 per cent of all cases and quadriplegia in 60 per cent of the pontine hemorrhage. Speech disturbance was noted in 27.9 per cent of all cases. 7. In the hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage 24 cases were treated surgically and 19 cases were managed conservatively. Mortality and disability rate increased steadily with deepening of level of consciousness. The result of surgical treatment was better in alert and drowsy patients. 8. In addition to conscious level, the site of intracerebral hemorrhage did strongly influence to surgical outcome. Surgical treatment of 9 cases of thalamic hemorrhage resulted 8 death and one with severe disability. On the other hand, of 17 patients of the external capsular hemorrhage 12 were treated surgically and 8 cases showed improvement. 5 patients of pontine hemorrhage was managed conservatively but resulted fatal outcome in 2 cases. 9. There is a conflict of opinion as to the optimal time to operate the hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage. Early surgery after ictus probably increase the mortality rate. Of 10 cases who were treated with surgical intervention within 48 hours following ictus, seven cases were succumbed. On the contrary, 0f 12 cases who had received operative treatment after 72 hours following ictus, 9 showed improvement and 3 death. 10. The amount of the hematoma seem to somewhat influence to surgical result.
Age Distribution ; Anisocoria ; Basal Ganglia ; Cardiomegaly ; Cerebral Angiography ; Cerebral Hemorrhage ; Consciousness ; Fatal Outcome ; Female ; Hand ; Headache ; Hematoma ; Hemiplegia ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular ; Intracranial Hemorrhage, Hypertensive* ; Male ; Mortality ; Paresis ; Pupil ; Quadriplegia ; Seoul ; Stupor ; Thorax ; Unconsciousness ; Vomiting

We have experienced 20 cases of the cerebral rete mirabile from 1969 to 1975. All were proved by bilateral carotid angiography, and clinical assessment and angiographical analysis were attempted. The results were summarized as follows: 1. Age distribution was ranged from 5 to 55. The majority of 20 cases were age over 20 as 15 cases who were distributed evenly in each decade and 5 cases were age below 20. 12 cases were male and 8 female. 2. Authors classified the cases as the group of subarachnoid hemorrhage and non-subarachnoid hemorrhage conveniently. All cases of age below 20 comprised in the group of non-subarachnoid hemorrhage while majority of subarachnoid hemorrhage group were age over 20. 3. There were no contributory factors to cerebral rete mirabile with regard to past history and family background. 4. There were considerable differences in the symptoms and signs between the groups of subarachnoid hemorrhage and non-subarachnoid hemorrhage. Clinical manifestations were mainly headache and impairment of consciousness with meningeal sign in the group of subarachnoid hemorrhage. On the other hand, motor disturbance such as hemiparesis or monoparesis was occurred in the majority of non-subarachnoid hemorrhage and the minority showed speech impairment, seizure and choreiform movement. 5. All cases showed the characteristic angiographic findings of cerebral rete mirabile, which are occlusion or stenosis at the supraclinoid portion of internal carotid artery with abnormal fine vascular network around the base of brain and poor or non-visualizing anterior cerebral and middle cerebral arteries. The interesting picture was rete formation of ophthalmic artery in the orbit of 2 cases. There were no abnormal angiographic findings on the vertebral angiogram except retrograde filling to anterior cerebral and middle cerebral arteries through collateral channel from the posterior cerebral artery. 6. The prognosis of the cerebral rete mirabile seem to be favorable with regard to mortality. There were no death in our 20 cases during the period of observation.
Age Distribution ; Angiography ; Brain ; Carotid Artery, Internal ; Chorea ; Consciousness ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Female ; Hand ; Headache ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Cerebral Artery ; Mortality ; Ophthalmic Artery ; Orbit ; Paresis ; Posterior Cerebral Artery ; Prognosis ; Seizures ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Japanese neurosurgeons have recently reported number of disorder having typical angiographic findings, which showed abnormal cerebrovascular network at the base of the brain related with the occlusion of the internal carotid arteries in Japanese race. Since the authors have observed five cases of the similar vascular abnormalities in Korea by cerebral angiography from 1969 to 1971, the clinical findings and angiographic features of these cases were presented. The results were summarized as follows; 1. Of the 5 patients, 4 cases were over 20 years of age and one 5-year-old child. 4 cases were male and one female. 2. There were considerable differences in the initial symptoms of these patients. Authors classified these as the group of subarachnoidal hemorrhage and non-subarachnoidal hemorrhage. The former was 3 cases and later 2. The most frequent clinical manifestations in the hemorrhagic group was headache, impairment of consciousness and sings of meningeal irritation, while hemiparesis and speech disturbance was mainly seen in the nonhemorrhagic group. Similar clinical pictures were reported in Japanese cases. 3. Characteristic cerebral angiographic findings of these cases were; 1) Narrowing of the cervical portion of both internal carotid arteries. 2) Occlusion or stenosis of bilateral internal carotid arteries at the supraclinoid portion. 3) Abnormal vascular network at the base of the brain around the occlusive area. 4) Anterior and middle cerebral arteries were no visualized in all cases and superficial temporal arteries or ophthaemic artery was prominent in a few cases. The etiological possibility of these disorder, radiological features and symptomatology were discussed.
Arteries ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Brain* ; Carotid Artery, Internal* ; Cerebral Angiography ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Consciousness ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Continental Population Groups ; Female ; Headache ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Middle Cerebral Artery ; Paresis ; Temporal Arteries

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to investigate the prognostic factors and appropriate treatment in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage secondary to ruptured middle cerebral artery(MCA) aneurysms. METHODS: Among 120 cases with ruptured MCA aneurysms during last 9 years from 1993 to 2002, 85 cases was analyzed according to hematoma distribution. All cases were included in one of three groups Group A(15 cases) having an intraparenchymal hematoma(IPH) larger than 5cc with or without subarachnoid hemorrhage(SAH). Group B(25 cases) having an intrasylvian hematoma(ISH) with or without SAH. Group C(45 cases) having a diffuse SAH without localized hematoma. Prognosis was evaluated postoperatively by applying Glasgow Outcome Scale(GOS) at discharge. RESULTS: In Group A, hypertension and Hunt-Hess(H-H) grade on admission, hematoma volume larger than 15cc and postoperative edema were corrleated with poor outcome. In Group B, old age, postoperative edema and delayed ischemic neurologic deficit(DIND) were related to poor outcome. Group C revealed better consciousness on admission and favourable outcome than Group A and B. CONCLUSION: We suggest that therapeutic consideration in Group A is focused on postoperative edema after early surgical intervention and in Group B is focused on postoperative edema with DIND after removal of residual clot in sylvian fisssure as much as possible by irrigation and suction.
Aneurysm ; Cerebral Hemorrhage* ; Consciousness ; Edema ; Hematoma ; Hemorrhage* ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Intracranial Aneurysm* ; Middle Cerebral Artery* ; Prognosis ; Suction

PURPOSE: Prolonged stay in the emergency department (ED) have been associated with high mortality, but this association remains controversial. We examined the relationship between emergency department length of stay (EDLOS) and the mortality in critically ill patients undergoing traumatic emergency surgery. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted at an academic medical center with 257 critically ill patients undergoing traumatic emergency surgery from 2003 to 2004. Patients were classified into two groups those spending less than 4 hours in the emergency department and those spending over 4 hours. The groups were compared for hospital-mortality, and the data were entered into multinominal logistic regression, ROC curve, and life table using 12.0 version of SSPS. RESULTS: The overall mortality rate was 16.0%. Average length of stay was 220.1+/-138.5 minutes and 191.3+/-112.9 minutes in the survivors and non-survivor groups, respectively (p=0.212). Hospital-mortality and cumulative survival rate were similar in the group spending less than 4 hours to those in the group spending over 4 hours. The mortality was mainly related to the severity of the patients' condition (SAPS II). CONCLUSION: EDLOS did not affect hospital mortality, and EDLOS of more than 4 hours was not associated with worse prognosis.
Academic Medical Centers ; Cohort Studies ; Critical Illness* ; Emergencies* ; Emergency Service, Hospital* ; Hospital Mortality ; Humans ; Length of Stay* ; Life Tables ; Logistic Models ; Mortality ; Prognosis* ; Retrospective Studies ; ROC Curve ; Survival Rate ; Survivors

Chiari type I malformation(CM-I) is a congenital disorder recognized by caudal displacement of the cerebellar tonsils through the foramen magnum and into the cervical canal. Though bony anomalies associated with CM including platybasia, small posterior fossa and occipitalization, are relatively frequent, but the incidence rate associated with agenesis of posterior arch of atlas is very low. We report our experience of surgical treatment for patient who had CM-I with unilateral agenesis of posterior arch of atlas.
Arnold-Chiari Malformation ; Congenital, Hereditary, and Neonatal Diseases and Abnormalities ; Foramen Magnum ; Humans ; Incidence ; Palatine Tonsil ; Platybasia

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to assess the factors related to the outcome of 84 patients who underwent surgery for anterior communicating Artery(ACoA) aneurysms. METHODS: The authors review 84 patients who were undertaken from January 1998 to May 2004. In the management of ACoA aneurysms, the outcome was based on several factors: Clinical condition, Distribution of hemorrhage, Time between aneurysmal rupture and surgery, Direction and shape of the aneurysm. RESULTS: The incidence rate of the ACoA aneurysm was 35%. Seventy four patients were classified as those having a good recovery, but 5 patients suffered from some morbidity and 5 patients died. The rate of good outcome for the patients with Hunt and Hess grade was as follows 100% in grade I, 95% in grade II, 80% in grade III, IV and V. The rate of good outcome for the patients with Fisher grade was as follows 98% in grade I, II and 81% in grade III, IV. Nineteen of 22 patients who underwent early surgery were rated as good, while twenty six of 30 patients for whom surgery was delayed showed a favorable result. The unfavorable outcomes were also attributed by vasospasm or other medical problems. CONCLUSION: For further improvement of the overall surgical outcome: First, early surgical intervention is recommended for good grade patients. Second, active management of poor grade patients should be scrutinized with early surgery. Third, it is also important to step up the effort to minimize the risk of medical complications to enhance surgical results on top of the mainstay of prevention efforts for vasospasm and rebleeding.
Aneurysm ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Incidence ; Intracranial Aneurysm* ; Rupture

OBJECTIVE: This study is designed to evaluate the clinical outcome, the safety and the effectiveness of the open sella methods(OSM) with intentionally staged transsphenoidal approach(TSA) for giant pituitary adenomas(GPA). METHODS: Eight patients with GPA were managed by the OSM with intentionally staged TSA. There were 5 nonfunctioning adenomas, 2 prolactin- secreting adenomas, and 1 growth hormone-secreting adenoma. Among them, 6 patients underwent two times of TSA, one patient underwent three times of TSA, and the other patient underwent two times of TSA followed by radiation therapy. The mean time interval between staged operations was 3.9 months except for one case. RESULTS: Seven out of the eight patients with GPA treated with the OSM with intentionally staged TSA showed that the tumors were completely removed on magnetic resonance imaging and that they were free from headache and visual problem suffered previously. Only one patient experienced severe complications including panhypopituitarism, cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea and permanent diabetes insipidus. CONCLUSION: With the surgical treatment for 8 cases of GPA, which extended to the suprasellar and parasellar area, we suggest that the OSM with intentionally staged TSA is a safe and effective method in management for GPA.
Adenoma ; Cerebrospinal Fluid Rhinorrhea ; Diabetes Insipidus ; Headache ; Humans ; Intention* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Pituitary Neoplasms*

Intramuscular lipomas are benign adipose tumors of the soft tissues that may resemble liposarcomas because of their size, deep location, and occasionally infiltrative growth. An awareness of their existence is fundamental to treating them correctly, and their differential diagnosis from liposarcoma is essential. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a useful diagnostic tool to differentiate benign adipose tumors from liposarcoma. Marginal excision and biopsy are required for the definite diagnosis and the treatment of symptomatic intramuscular lipomas. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first report in South Korea regarding the treatment of an intramuscular giant lipoma of the ankle.

OBJECTIVE: Because of the limited penetration into the central nervous system after systemic administration of numerous therapeutic compounds, intratumoral chemotherapy for brain tumors has also been used. However, the efficacy of intratumoral drug administration is restricted by the poor diffusion of drug through tumor and brain interstitium. In order to enhance the diffusion of chemotherapeutic agent and increase the cytotoxicity with minimal dose, the authors report the results of convection-enhanced delivery(CED) of chemotherapeutic agent to the malignant brain tumor as a method of enhancing cerebral drug delivery. METHODS: Authors used "CADD-Micro(R) ambulatory infusion pump" from Deltec, which can be programmed for continuous infusion. Intratumoral injection of chemotherapeutic drug using the pump was applied to eight patients with glioma and one patient with lymphoma. Surgery was done and tumor was removed as much as possible. The tip of catheter was placed in the center of tumor cavity. Adriamycin (0.16~0.32mg) was put in the reservoir which was connected to the proximal catheter and fixed in the pump device. Twenty-four hours after surgery, Adriamycin was infused. RESULTS: There was no adverse reaction of CED technique. Compared with current delivery techniques, the improvement of survival rate has been observed(5 patients: alive, 3 patients: dead, 1 patient: lost(alive to 5 mo.)). CONCLUSION: CED can be useful method for distributing therapeutic molecules in the interstitial space of tumor and can be utilized for chemotherapeutic agents, immunotoxins, and gene etc..
Brain ; Brain Neoplasms ; Catheters ; Central Nervous System ; Diffusion ; Doxorubicin ; Drug Therapy ; Glioma ; Humans ; Immunotoxins ; Lymphoma ; Survival Rate