• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.318-321
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• 2009

Tension pneumocephalus may follow a cerebrospinal fluid(CSF) leak communicating with extensive extradural air. However, it rarely occurs after diagnostic lumbar puncture, and its treatment and pathophysiology are uncertain. Tension pneumocephalus can develop even after diagnostic lumbar puncture in a special condition. This extremely rare condition and underlying pathophysiology will be presented and discussed. The authors report the case of a 44-year-old man with a basal skull fracture accompanied by pneumothorax necessitating chest tube suction drainage, who underwent an uneventful lumbar tapping that was complicated by postprocedural tension pneumocephalus resulting in an altered mental status. The patient was managed by burr hole trephination and saline infusion following chest tube disengagement. He recovered well with no neurologic deficits after the operation, and a follow-up computed tomography (CT) scan demonstrated that the pneumocephalus had completely resolved. Tension pneumocephalus is a rare but serious complication of lumbar puncture in patients with basal skull fractures accompanied by pneumothorax, which requires continuous chest tube drainage. Thus, when there is a need for lumbar tapping in these patients, it should be performed after the negative pressure is disengaged.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.644-649
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• 2000

Objective : Acute hydrocephalus can be caused by many pathologic conditions such as sub- arachnoid hemorrhage, intraventricular hemorrhage, inflammatory diseases. External ventricular drainage(EVD) through trephination of the skull is essential procedure for progressing or persistent symptomatic acute hydrocephalus. If the EVD can not be removed in short period, the chance of ventriculitis increases and periodic transposition of the draining catheter should be considered. Shunt procedure can not be performed in acute hemorrhage or infectious condition because of the risk of shunt malfunction or intra-abdominal spreading of the infection, respectively. The authors replaced EVD with continuous lumbar drainage(CLD) for the purpose of controlling acute hydrocephalus and preventing ventriculitis simultaneously, or treating ventriculitis more effectively in case of infection which had already broken out. CLD has many advantages over EVD, although, it can complicate disastrous downward brain herniation in patients with elevated intracranial pressure. The authors performed CLD with EVD maintained and then tested the possibility of the brain herniation with quite simple method. If the CLD was proven as safe through the test, EVD could be replaced with it without terrible herniation. Material and Method : Between September 1998 and April 1999, 10 patients underwent CLD in replacement of EVD. Among them, 5 were patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage, 2 were patients with thalamic hematoma and intraventricular hemorhage and 3 were patients with traumatic intracranial hemorrhage. Results : In eight of them the replacements were successfully done and one of them died on account of medical illness. In two of them the replacement could not be performed because of the risk of herniation and all expired owing to ventriculitis. Two patients required permanent shunt operation. Conclusion : This article provides a valuable alternative method of treatment for persistent symptomatic hydrocephalus which can not be managed with shunt operation immediately.

• Archives of Craniofacial Surgery
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.95-98
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• 2010

Purpose: CSF (Cerebrospinal fluid) leakage is the most common complication of neurosurgery. Early management with conservative care or surgery must be followed appropriately due to the increased risk of lethal complications, such as meningitis. We report a case of intractable CSF leakage that occurred after a cerebellar tumor resection, which was treated successfully. Methods: A 53-year old male consulted our department for continuous CSF leakage for 3 months after having received conservative care and lumbar drainage. CSF collection was observed in the dead space of the posterior fossa after a cerebellar tumor resection and postoperative radiotherapy. Using a free latissimus dorsi muscle flap, the dead space within the skull was filled and the defects were covered successfully. Results: At 6 weeks after surgery, the follow-up MRI and CT revealed proper coverage and filling in the area where cerebellar tumor had been removed. No CSF leakage was observed at the postoperative 3 month follow-up. Conclusion: Recurrent CSF leakage was treated after cerebellar tumor resection with a relatively satisfactory result. In terms of the patient's treatment, much better results can be achieved by performing dead space filling using a flap with a sufficient size, in addition to coverage of the defects of the dura.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.275-279
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• 1993

Reflex sympathetic dystrophy is a syndrome characterized by persistent, burning pain, hyperpathia, allodynia & hyperaesthesia in an extremity, with concurrent evidence of autonomic nervous system dysfunction. It generally develops after nerve injury, trauma, surgery, et al. The most successful therapies are directed towards blocking the sympathetic intervention to the affected extremity by regional sympathetic ganglion block or Bier block with sympathetic blocker; other traditional treatments include transcutaneous electrical stimulation, immobilization with cast & splint, physical therapy, psychotherapy, administration of sympathetic blocker, calcitonin, corticosteroid and analgesic agents. The purpose of this report is to evaluate and describe the effects of magnetic resonance following unsatisfactory results with traditional treatments of RSD. A 17 year old female patient, 1 year earlier, had received excision and drainage of pus at the right femoral triangle due to an injury caused by a stone. Afterwards, she experienced burning pain, knee joint stiffness, and muscle dystrophy of the right thigh, especially when standing and walking. Despite a year of number of traditional treatments such as: lumbar sympathetic block, continuous epidural analgesia, transcutaneous electrical stimulation, & administration of predisolone, her pain did not improve. Surprisingly, the patients was able to walk free from pain and difficulty after just one application of magnetic resonance. The patient has been successfully treated with further treatment of two to three times a week for approximately ten weeks. More recently, magnetic resonance has been demonstrated to produce effective results for the relief of pain in a variety of diseases. From our experiences we recognize magnetic resonance as a therapeutic modality which can provide excellent results for the treatment of RSD. It has been suggested that polysynaptic reflex which are disturbed in RSD may be modulated normally on the spinal cord level through the application of magnetic resonance.