• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.30 no.9
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• pp.1086-1093
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• 2001

Object : With the recent variable treatment modalities and the development of microsurgical techniques, outcomes of surgical and medical management of aneurysm have shown much progress in the last 10 years. However, the management of posterior circulation aneurysm is still a debatable due to its difficulty in limited surgical approach, complicated anatomical structure and many small perforators to vital structure. The purpose of this study is to compare the results of clinical manifestation and outcome of surgery with respect to anterior and posterior circulation aneurysms. Material and Methods : We evaluated the 33 patients with PCAs(posterior circulation aneurysm) and 359 patients with ACAs(anterior circulation aneurysm) treated between 1994 and 1999, retrospectively. Results : Posterior circulation aneurysms showed higher tendency(5 cases, 14.7%) to have unusual shapes, such as dissecting or fusiform compared with anterior circulation aneurysm(15 cases, 4.2%). There were more multiple aneurysms in posterior circulation aneurysm(8 cases, 26.5%) than anterior circulation aneurysm(59 cases, 16.2%). The number of patients with Hunt-Hess grade III or IV on admission were 91(25.3%) in anterior circulation aneurysms, and 14(42.4%) in posterior circulation aneurysms. There were higher incidences of vasospasm and acute hydrocephalus in patients with posterior circulation aneurysm. In cases of anterior circulation aneurysm, neck clipping was possible in 97%. But, in posterior circulation aneurysm, neck clipping was possible only in 67.7% of each. Two hundred forty four cases(85.0%) of all anterior circulation aneurysms and 22 cases(78.6%) of all posterior circulation aneurysms showed good recovery(GR) or moderate disability(MD). The postoperative mortality rates of anterior and posterior circulation aneurysms were 4.9% and 10.7%, respectively. Conclusion : These results indicate that there exist substantial differences with respect to that there were few difference in the aspect of surgery and management outcome between posterior circulation aneurysms and anterior circulation aneurysms.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.179-186
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• 2012

Objective : Even in the patients with neurologically good outcome after intracranial aneurysm surgery, their perception of health is an important outcome issue. This study aimed to investigate the quality of life (QOL) and its predictors of patients who had a good outcome following anterior circulation aneurysm surgery as using the World Health Organization Quality of Life instrument-Korean version. Methods : We treated 280 patients with 290 intracranial aneurysms for 2 years. This questionnaire was taken and validated by 99 patients whose Glasgow Outcome Scale score was 4 and more and Global deterioration scale 3 and less at 6 months after the operation, and 85 normal persons. Each domain and facet was compared between the two groups, and a subgroup analysis was performed on the QOL values and hospital expenses of the aneurysm patients according to the type of craniotomy, approach, bleeding of the aneurysm and brain injury. Results : Aneurysm patients showed a lower quality of life compared with control patients in level of independence, psychological, environmental, and spiritual domains. In the environmental domain, there were significant intergroup differences according to the type of craniotomy and the surgical approach used on the patients (p<0.05). The hospital charges were also significantly different according to the type of craniotomy (p<0.05). Conclusion : Despite good neurological status, patients surgically treated for anterior circulation aneurysm have a low quality of life. The craniotomy size may affect the QOL of patients who underwent an anterior circulation aneurysm surgery and exhibited a good outcome.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.330-335
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• 2000

Objective : The purpose of this report is to assess the morbidity and mortality associated with clipping of intracranial unruptured aneurysms. Methods : At the authors' institution between May 1989 and December 1998, a total of 128 unruptured aneurysms in 110 patients were treated with surgical clippings. The medical records and neuroimaging studies of the patients were reviewed retrospectively. Results : The main locations of the aneurysms were : middle cerebral artery 31%, internal carotid-posterior communicating artery 28%, anterior communicating artery 16%, paraclinoid 6.5%, internal carotid-anterior choroidal artery 7%, posterior circulation 7%. Forty three percent of the aneurysms were symptomatic and 57% asymptomatic. The overall outcome of the surgery was : Glasgow outcome scale(GOS) I 86%, GOS II 6%, GOS III 4.3%, GOS IV 0% and GOS V(death) 3.5%. The operative risk is higher for large to giant aneurysms, and for aneurysms in posterior circulations. Patients with non-giant aneurysm in anterior circulation showed no mortality, but morbidity of 8.2%, and in posterior circulation : 25% of mortality and 75% of morbidity. Patients with giant anterior circulation aneurysm have 22% of mortality and 22% of morbidity. For patients with giant posterior circulation aneurysm, mortality and morbidity were 25% and 25%, respectively. The postoperative deaths were related to occlusion of the major parent artery in 3 cases(75%). The postoperative morbidity was related to occlusion of artery(9/13), intraoperative rupture(3/13), and cranial nerve injury(1/13). Conclusion : This report documents 3.5% mortality and 13% of morbidity in the clipping surgery for unruptured intracranial aneurysms, and the relatively low risk of surgical clipping in non-giant and those located in anterior circulation. The natural history, especially risk of bleeding, of the unruptured intracranial aneurysms is still controversial. However, with respect to surgical results, unruptured non-giant aneurysm located in anterior circulation should be operated in patients with low risk.

• Journal of computational fluids engineering
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.64-71
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• 2011

Cerebral aneurysm mostly occurs at a bifurcation of the circle of Willis. When the cerebral aneurysm is ruptured, a disease like subarachnoid hemorrhage and stroke is caused and this can be even deadly for patients. Generally it is known that causes of the intracranial aneurysm are a congenital deformity of the artery and pressure or shear stress from the blood flow. A blood flow pattern and the geometry of the blood vessel are important factors for the aneurysm formation. Research for several hemodynamic indices has been performed and these indices can be used for the prediction of aneurysm initiation and rupture. Therefore, the numerical analysis was performed for hemodynamic characteristics of the blood flow through the cerebral artery applying the various bifurcation angle and flow rate ratio. We analyze the flow characteristics using indices from the results of the numerical simulation. In addition, to investigate the flow pattern in the aneurysm according to the bifurcation angle and the flow rate ratio, we performed the numerical simulation on the supposition that the aneurysm occurs.

• 한국전산유체공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2011.05a
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• pp.161-168
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• 2011

Cerebral aneurysm mostly occurs at a bifurcation of the circle of Willis. When the cerebral aneurysm is ruptured a disease like subarachnoid hemorrhage and stroke is caused and this can be even deadly for patients. Generally it is known that causes of the intracranial aneurysm are a congenital deformity of the artery and pressure or shear stress from the blood flow. A blood flow pattern and the geometry of the blood vessel are important factors for the aneurysm formation. Research for several hemodynamic indices has been performed and these indices can be used for the prediction of aneurysm initiation and rupture. Therefore, the numerical analysis was performed for hemodynamic characteristics of the blood flow through the cerebral artery applying the various bifurcation angle and flow rate ratio. We analyze the flow characteristics using indices from the results of the numerical simulation. In addition, to investigate the flow pattern in the aneurysm according to the bifurcation angle and the flow rate ratio, we performed the numerical simulation on the supposition that the aneurysm occurs.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.57 no.4
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• pp.271-275
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• 2015

Objective : Chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is a rare complication of unruptured aneurysm clipping surgery. The purpose of this study was to identify the incidence and risk factors of postoperative CSDH after surgical clipping for unruptured anterior circulation aneurysms. Methods : This retrospective study included 518 patients from a single tertiary institute from January 2008 to December 2013. CSDH was defined as subdural hemorrhage which needed surgical treatment. The degree of brain atrophy was estimated using the bicaudate ratio (BCR) index. We used uni- and multivariate analyses to identify risk factors correlated with CSDH. Results : Sixteen (3.1%) patients experienced postoperative CSDH that required burr hole drainage surgery. In univariate analyses, male gender (p<0.001), size of aneurysm (p=0.030), higher BCR index (p=0.004), and the use of antithrombotic medication (p=0.006) were associated with postoperative CSDH. In multivariate analyses using logistic regression test, male gender [odds ratio (OR) 4.037, range 1.287-12.688], high BCR index (OR 5.376, range 1.170-25.000), and the use of antithrombotic medication (OR 4.854, range 1.658-14.085) were associated with postoperative CSDH (p<0.05). Postoperative subdural fluid collection and arachnoid plasty were not showed statistically significant difference in this study. Conclusion : The incidence of CSDH was 3.1% in unruptured anterior circulation aneurysm surgery. This study shows that male gender, degree of brain atrophy, and the use of antithrombotic medication were associated with postoperative CSDH.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.832-835
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• 2000

A case of unruptured cerebral aneurysm at the junction of accessory middle cerebral artery and the distal portion of the $A_1$ segment of the anterior cerebral artery is reported. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first reported case of cerebral aneurysm developed at the junction of accessory middle cerebral artery, demonstrated on magnetic resonance angiography(MRA). The accessory middle cerebral artery is a rare vascular variant of middle cerebral artery. Furthermore, it is extremely rare for an aneurysm to be developed at the origin of the accessory middle cerebral artery. The development of the accessory middle cerebral artery is very important in surgery of cerebral aneurysm and collateral circulation of cerebral infarction. Review of the literature regarding the genesis and anatomical variation of the accessory middle cerebral artery is also presented.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.568-571
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• 2009

Accessory middle cerebral artery (MCA) is an infrequent vascular anomaly of the brain. Cerebral aneurysms associated with this anomalous artery are also very rare. To our knowledge, there have only been ten previous reports of an aneurysm associated with accessory MCA. The authors present two patients with accessory MCA-related aneurysms. A 38-year-old male and a 59-year-old female both presented with sudden-onset severe headache. In both patients, computed tomography (CT) scan revealed subarachnoid hemorrhage. A subsequent angiogram demonstrated an accessory MCA arising from the anterior cerebral artery (ACA) and a saccular aneurysm at the anterior communicating artery (ACoA) complex associated with an accessory MCA. Surgical clipping allowed for complete exclusion of the aneurysm from the arterial circulation. Based on our review of the ten cases of aneurysms associated with accessory MCA documented in the literature, we suggest that accessory MCA-related aneurysms can be classified according to whether the accessory MCA originates from the proximal A1 segment or from the ACoA complex. We also emphasize the importance of precise interpretation of preoperative angiograms and intraoperative precaution in determining the presence of this anomalous artery prior to temporary clip placement.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.103-108
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• 2009

Objective: Conventional pterional approach is a commonly used neurosurgical technique for the treatment of cerebral aneurysms. However, this technique requires more extensive brain exposure than other key hole approaches and is sometimes associated with surgical traumatization or cosmetic problems. The aim of this study was to compare the postoperative outcome between pterional and supraorbital keyhole approaches in the patients with anterior circulation aneurysms. Methods: The authors reviewed patients with anterior circulation aneurysms who underwent aneurysm clipping via pterional or supraorbital keyhole approach at a single institute over a period of 2 years. Ninety-eight patients harboring 108 aneurysms were included in this study. Various outcomes were recorded, which included clinical grade, cosmetic problems, patients' satisfaction and complications such as chewing discomfort, frontal muscle weakness, hyposmia, infection. Results: The supraorbital approach exhibited a shorter operation time compared with the pterional approach. Complications such as chewing discomfort occurred less frequently in the supraorbital approach group. Moreover, the cosmetic outcome was significantly better in the supraorbital group than in the pterional group. Conclusion: The supraorbital keyhole approach reduced intra- and postoperative complications, including chewing discomfort and cosmetic disturbances, compared with the conventional pterional approach.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.56 no.5
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• pp.371-374
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• 2014

Neurosurgeons have been trying to reduce surgical invasiveness by applying minimally invasive keyhole approaches. Therefore, this paper clarifies the detailed surgical technique, its limitations, proper indications, and contraindications for a superciliary keyhole approach as a minimally invasive modification of a pterional approach. Successful superciliary keyhole surgery for unruptured aneurysms requires an understanding of the limitations and the use of special surgical techniques. Essentially, this means the effective selection of surgical indications, usage of the appropriate surgical instruments with a tubular shaft, and refined surgical techniques, including straightforward access to the aneurysm, clean surgical dissection, and the application of clips with an appropriate configuration. A superciliary keyhole approach allows unruptured anterior circulation aneurysms to be clipped safely, rapidly, and less invasively on the basis of appropriate surgical indications.