• Biomedical Science Letters
• /
• v.10 no.2
• /
• pp.115-120
• /
• 2004

To investigate the correlation between the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of cerebral fat embolism that is induced by injecting oleic acid into 10 cats, and a pathologic diagnosis. Using a microcatheter, 30 ${mu}ell$ of oleic acid was injected into the internal carotid artery of 10 cats. MR T2-weighted image (T2WI), diffusion-weighted image (DWI) and Gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted image (Gd-enhanced T1WI) were obtained after 30 minutes and 2 hours of embolization. After 30 minutes of the embolization, lesions of very high signal intensity were detected by T2WI in 6 cats, and of slightly high signal intensity in 2 cats; in the remaining 2 cats, signal intensity was normal. DWI showed lesions of very high intensity in 9 cats and of slightly high intensity in one cat. According to the findings of light microscopic examination, infarcted lesions mainly involved the gray matter, but also some white matter. A magnetic resonance imaging diagnosis for cerebral fat embolism that was induced by oleic acid through the internal carotid artery in cats showed high signal intensity on the T2WI and the DWI within an initial 2 hours, and with a well enhancement on the Gd-enhanced T1WI. Considering cellular edema, cerebrovascular injury and extracellular space widening, we assumed pathologically that cytotoxic and vasogenic edema exists at the same time.

• International Journal of Vascular Biomedical Engineering
• /
• v.3 no.1
• /
• pp.6-13
• /
• 2005

Individual clinical significance of each layer of CCA (common carotid artery) has not been well studied. We intended to measure the intima thickness (IT), media thickness (MT), and intima-media thickness (IMT) of CCA separately and tried to analyze the clinical significance. One hundred fifty one consecutive patients (mean age: $57{\pm}15$ years; 77 males, 74 females) underwent CCA scanning using high-resolution ultrasound. The images were off-line analyzed using B-mode ultrasound image processing, devised for individual measurement of IT and MT as well as IMT. The mean coefficients of variation of new method measuring IT, MT, and IMT separately were 0.16% for IMT and 0.21% for both IT and MT. The IT (p < 0.01), MT (p < 0.01) as well as IMT (p < 0.001) of patients with atherosclerotic disease were significantly thicker than that of the patients without atherosclerotic disease. Patients with hypertension showed significantly thicker IT (p < 0.01), MT (p < 0.001), and IMT (p < 0.001) than that of the patients without hypertension. However, only IT was thicker in patients with smoking (p<0.01) than that of the patients without smoking.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• v.40 no.4
• /
• pp.277-280
• /
• 2006

Extracerebral cavernous hemangiomas are rare vascular tumors that are very difficult to remove because of severe intraoperative bleeding. We report a case of 57-year-old male with extracerebral cavernous hemangioma with review of 126 cases in the literature. Patient presented with blurred vision, diplopia, numbness on the left side of his face. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a well defined mass of $3{\times}4{\times}3cm$ size with heterogenous iso-or hypointensity on T1-weighted image showing strong homogenous contrast enhancement and marked hyperintensity on T2-weighted image. Digital subtraction angiography[DSA] revealed a faint tumor blush by feeders from the left internal carotid artery[ICA] and left external carotid artery[ECA] in the delayed phase. Even with profuse intratumoral bleeding, near total removal was achieved. In addition to preoperative neurologic deficits such as ophthalmoplegia, facial numbness in the V1-2 dermatomes, ptosis appeared postoperatively.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.8 no.2
• /
• pp.160-166
• /
• 2000

The present study examined influence of various ischemic duration on extent of focal ischemic brain injury induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in rats. The MCAO was produced by insertion of a 17 mm silicone-coated 4-0 nylon surgical thread to the origin of MCA through the internal carotid artery for 30, 60, 90, 120 min (transient) or 24 hr (permanent) in male Sprague-Dawley rats under isoflurane anesthesia. Reperfusion in transient MCAO models was achieved by pulling the thread out of the internal carotid artery. Only rats showing neurological deficits characterized by left hemiparesis and/or circling to the left, were included in cerebral ischemic groups. The rats were sacrificed 24 hr after MCAO and seven serial coronal slices of the brain were stained with 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride. Infarct size was measured using a computerized image analyzer. Ischemic damage was common in the frontoparietal cortex (somatosensory area) and the lateral segment of the striatum while damage to the medial segment of the striatum depended on the duration of the occlusion. In the 30-min MCAO grouts, however, infarcted region was primarily confined to the striatum and it was difficult to clearly delineate the region since there was mixed population of live and dead cells in the nucleus. Infarct volume was generally increased depending on the duration of MCAO, showing the most severe damage in the permanent MCAO group. However, there was no significant difference in infarct size between the 90-min and 120-min MCAO groups. % Edema also tended to increase depending on the duration of MCAO. The results suggest that the various focal ischemic rat models established in the present study can be used to evaluate in vivo neuroprotective activities of candidate compounds or to elucidate pathophysiological mechanisms of ischemic neuronal cell death.

• The KIPS Transactions:PartB
• /
• v.13B no.4 s.107
• /
• pp.401-408
• /
• 2006

In this paper, we propose a new class of segmentation technique for feature extraction based on the statistical and regional classification at each vertical or horizontal line of digital image data. Data is processed and clustered at each line, different from the point or space process. They are designed to segment gray-scale sectional images using a horizontal and vertical line process due to their statistical and property differences, and to extract the feature. The techniques presented here show efficient results in case of the gray level overlap and not having threshold image. Such images are also not easy to be segmented by the global or local threshold methods. Line pixels inform us the sectionable data, and can be set according to cluster quality due to the differences of histogram and statistical data. The total segmentation on line clusters can be obtained by adaptive extension onto the horizontal axis. Each processed region has its own pixel value, resulting in feature extraction. The advantage and effectiveness of the line-cluster approach are both shown theoretically and demonstrated through the region-segmental carotid artery medical image processing.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• v.47 no.3
• /
• pp.203-209
• /
• 2010

Objective : The purpose of study was to evaluate the feasibility of brain magnetic resonance (MR) images of the rat obtained using a 1.5T MR machine in several blood-brain barrier (BBB) experiments. Methods : Male Sprague-Dawley rats were used. MR images were obtained using a clinical 1.5T MR machine. A microcatheter was introduced via the femoral artery to the carotid artery. Normal saline (group 1, n = 4), clotted autologous blood (group 2, n = 4), triolein emulsion (group 3, n = 4), and oleic acid emulsion (group 4, n = 4) were infused into the carotid artery through a microcatheter. Conventional and diffusion-weighted images, the apparent coefficient map, perfusion-weighted images, and contrast-enhanced MR images were obtained. Brain tissue was obtained and triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining was performed in group 2. Fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labeled dextran images and endothelial barrier antigen (EBA) studies were performed in group 4. Results : The MR images in group 1 were of good quality. The MR images in group 2 revealed typical findings of acute cerebral infarction. Perfusion defects were noted on the perfusion-weighted images. The MR images in group 3 showed vasogenic edema and contrast enhancement, representing vascular damage. The rats in group 4 had vasogenic edema on the MR images and leakage of dextran on the FITC-labeled dextran image, representing increased vascular permeability. The immune reaction was decreased on the EBA study. Conclusion : Clinical 1.5T MR images using a rat depicted many informative results in the present study. These results can be used in further researches of the BBB using combined clinical MR machines and immunohistochemical examinations.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• v.38 no.2
• /
• pp.151-154
• /
• 2005

A 43-year-old woman was admitted with the chief complaint of progressive visual disturbance and her brain radiological studies disclosed well demarcated tumor at tuberculum sellae area and bilateral mirror image paraclinoid internal carotid artery saccular aneurysms. A larger left side aneurysm was pointing medialy and almost encased by the tumor. Although a brain tumor and intracranial aneurysm can be simultaneously treated by surgery, the high risk of intra-operative aneurysm rupture should be considered. Therefore, the author secondly performed tumor resection after the endovascular embolization of the aneurysm which was embedding the tumor using a Guglielmi detachable coil. After successful treatment of the patient with tuberculum sellae meningioma associated with bilateral mirror image paraclinoid aneurysms using endovascular and surgical techniques, the authors present the case with a review of the related literatures.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• v.53 no.6
• /
• pp.360-363
• /
• 2013

We recently experienced self-detachment of the Solitaire stent during mechanical thrombectomy of acute ischemic stroke. Then, we tried to remove the detached stent and to recanalize the occlusion, but failed with endovascular means. The following diffusion weighted image MRI revealed no significant increase in infarction size, therefore, we performed surgical removal of the stent to rescue the patient and to elucidate the reason why the self-detachment occurred. Based upon the operative findings, the stent grabbed the main thrombi but inadvertently detached at a severely tortuous, acutely angled, and circumferentially calcified segment of the internal carotid artery. Postoperative angiography demonstrated complete recanalization of the internal carotid artery. The patient's neurological deficits gradually improved, and the modified Rankin scale score was 2 at three months after surgery. In the retrospective case review, bone window images of the baseline computed tomography (CT) scan corresponded to the operative findings. According to this finding, we hypothesized that bone window images of a baseline CT scan can play a role in terms of anticipating difficult stent retrieval before the procedure.

• Journal of information and communication convergence engineering
• /
• v.15 no.4
• /
• pp.250-255
• /
• 2017

In this paper, we propose a method of detecting the region for measuring intima-media thickness (IMT). The existing methods for IMT measurement are automatic, but the region used for measuring IMT is not detected automatically but often set by the user. Therefore, research on detecting the intima-media region is needed for fully automated IMT measurement. The proposed method uses a morphological feature of the carotid artery visible as two long high-brightness horizontal lines at the upper and lower parts. It uses Gaussian blurring, ends-in search stretching, color quantization using a color-importance-based self-organizing map, and morphological operations to emphasize and to detect the morphological feature. The experimental results for evaluating the performance of the proposed method showed a 97.25% (106/109) success rate. Therefore, the proposed method can be used to develop a fully automated IMT measurement system.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
• /
• v.31 no.5
• /
• pp.479-486
• /
• 2011

In image-based CFD modeling of carotid bifurcation hemodynamics, it is often not possible (or at least not convenient) to impose measured velocity profiles at the common carotid artery inlet. Instead, fully-developed velocity profiles are usually imposed based on measured flow rates. However, some studies reported a pronounced influence of inflow boundary conditions that were based on actual velocity profiles measured by magnetic resonance imaging which showing the unusual presence of a high velocity band in the middle of the vessel during early diastole inconsistent with a Dean-type velocity profile. We demonstrated that those velocity profiles were induced by the presence of modest secondary curvature of the inlet and set about to test whether such more "realistic" velocity profiles might indeed have a more pronounced influence on the carotid bifurcation hemodynamics. We found that inlet boundary condition with axisymmetric fully-developed velocity profile(Womersley flow) is reasonable as long as sufficient CCA inlet length of realistic geometry is applied.