Synovial cysts occur typically in peripheral joints and tendon sheaths. They rarely occur intraspinally. Recently we have experienced a case of extradural synovial cyst in the cervical spine, causing a myelopathy which results in progressive motor weakness and sensory change. The case is therefore presented with review of literatures.
Joints ; Spinal Cord Diseases* ; Spine ; Synovial Cyst* ; Tendons

It has been known that the size of arterial diameter during growth in primates is closely dependent on blood flow. Flow induced arterial size can be influenced by contractile or structual characters of vascular smooth muscle cells. Furthermore it had been confirmed through experimental study that vascular endothelium releases vasoactive substances which adjust smooth muscle tone, and could detect shear stress on the vascular wall by its direct contact with luminal flow. The authors tried to prove it through the angiographic measurement of the major vessel sizes in cerebrovascular diseases with changed blood flow. We measured the major vessel sizes of 36 cases of cerebrovascular diseases:arteriovenous malformation in 14 cases, cerebral infarction in 8, cerebral hemiatrophy in 6 moyamoya disease 5, occlusion of the internal carotid artery in 2, and carotid-cavernous fistula in 1, which may influence cerebral blood flow, on angiography under the same circumstances. Results are as the followings: 1) In the cases of arteriovenous malformation and carotid-cavernous fistula, all of the major vessel sizes of the lesion wite were increased and all became decreased postoperatively. 2) In the cases of major vessel occlusion and cerebral hemiatrophy, the major vessel size of the lesion site was smaller than that of the normal site. 3) In the cases of moyamoya disease, there was no definite size different between both ICA sizes. In conclusion, the change in cerebral blood flow is a determinant factor of the major vessel sizes in the cases of cerebrovascular disorders which an influence cerebral blood flow.
Angiography ; Arteriovenous Malformations ; Carotid Artery, Internal ; Cerebral Infarction ; Cerebrovascular Disorders ; Endothelium, Vascular ; Fistula ; Moyamoya Disease ; Muscle, Smooth ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; Phenobarbital ; Primates

PURPOSE: We tried to evaluate the effect of prophylactic treatment with short-term intermittent diazepam or long-term continuous valproate in prenventing the recurrence febrile seizures and compare the efficacy of both drugs. METHODS: Eighty six children who were admitted to the Kwangju Christian Hospital from March, 1997 to July, 1999 with more than three febrile seizures and more than one risk factor were enrolled in our study and followed up for one year. Among them, sixteen belonged to an oral diazepam group and twelve to a valproate group while fifty eight to a control group. We investigated the recurrence rate of each group for the period of a year. RESULTS: In the diazepam group, diazepam(0.3 mg/kg/dose) was administered orally every eight hours during the first febrile day and the recurrence rate was 6.2%. The recurrence rate of the valproate group(17 mg/kg/day, bid) was 25%. Those treatments significantly reduced the recurrence rates of febrile convulsions compared to the untreated control group(74.1%), but no significant differences were found between the two treatment groups in the respect of recurrence rates of febrile seizures. CONCLUSION: Both intermittent diazepam and continuous valproate treatment were equally effective in preventing the recurrence of febrile seizures.
Child* ; Diazepam* ; Gwangju ; Humans ; Recurrence ; Risk Factors ; Seizures, Febrile* ; Valproic Acid*

PURPOSE: In previous studies, various risk factors for recurrent febrile seizures have been identified. But none of these risk factors alone could sufficiently discriminate children at high or low risk for recurrent seizures. Therefore, we tried to identify patients at high risk of recurrent febrile seizures by combining risk factors. METHODS: Two hundred and four children who had been admitted to our hospital from March, 1997 to July, 1999 with their first febrile seizures were enrolled in our study, and followed up over 2 years. We investigated the recurrence rate according to variables such as sex, age at first febrile seizure, family history of febrile seizures or epilepsy, type of the first seizure, neurologic abnormality and EEG abnormality. RESULTS: Family history of febrile seizures and age at first febrile seizure(<12 months) were significant independent risk factors for recurrent febrile seizures. With these two combined factors, four groups were allocated and the recurrence rate by each group was designated as follows: group with no family history of febrile seizures and age at first febrile seizure >or=12 months (no risk factor), 43.8%; the group with no family history and age <12 months(one risk factor), 61.7%; group with family history and age >or=12 months(one risk factor), 64.5%; group with family history and age <12 months(two risk factors), 90.4%. CONCLUSION: A correlation between numbers of risk factors and recurrence rate was present and the children with a family history of febrile seizures and a young age at onset(<12 months) were regarded as a high risk group of recurrence.
Child ; Electroencephalography ; Epilepsy ; Humans ; Recurrence* ; Risk Factors* ; Seizures ; Seizures, Febrile*

PURPOSE: To evaluate the usefulness of the angiographic embolization for the treatment of postoperative bleeding. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Six patients who suffered massive postoperative bleeding underwent angiographic embolization from March 1998 to June 1999. The initial diagnosis was femoral fractures in 4 patients, infected total hip arthroplasty in a patient, and open humerus fracture in a patient. When angiography revealed arterial tear, embolization was performed. The authors evaluated the effectiveness and the complication of angiographic embolization. RESULT: Five patients had arterial tear and one patient had diffuse bleeding from the granulation tissue. Angiographic embolization was performed in all patients. There were 3 cases of injury of the deep femoral artery, a case of injury of a branch of the subclavian artery, and a case of injury of the superior gluteal artery. After the procedure swelling subsided and the amount of transfusion diminished in all patients. There was no complication related to angiographic embolization. CONCLUSION: When there is suspicion of arterial injury after the operation, angiographic embolization can be used to confirm arterial injury and to control bleeding.
Angiography ; Arteries ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip ; Diagnosis ; Femoral Artery ; Femoral Fractures ; Granulation Tissue ; Hemorrhage* ; Humans ; Humerus ; Subclavian Artery