• Archives of Craniofacial Surgery
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.125-129
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• 2012

Purpose: Methylmethacrylate is the most commonly used alloplastic material in cranioplasty. However during the polymerization of methylmethacrylate, a significant exothermic reaction takes place. This reaction may result in thermal injury to the brain tissue and other soft tissues. Also it is difficult to make three-dimensional methylmethacrylate implant that is perfectly matched to the defect during the operation time. We report on the molding technique of methylmethacrylate implant using plaster mold and the rapid prototyping model in cranioplasty. Methods: A 44-year-old male was referred to the department for severe frontal hollowness. He was involved in an automobile accident resulting in large frontal bone defect with irregular margin. The preformed patient-specific methylmethacrylate implant was made using plaster mold and the rapid prototyping model before the operative day. The methylmethacrylate implant was placed in the frontal defect and rigidly fixed with miniplates and screws on the operative day. Results: The operation was performed in an hour. In the 6 months follow-up period, there were no complications. Patient was satisfied with the results of cranioplasty. Conclusion: Safe cranioplasty was performed with the preformed patient-specific methylmethacrylate implant using plaster mold and the rapid prototyping model. The result of this method was satisfactory, aesthetically and functionally.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.60 no.4
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• pp.397-403
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• 2017

Objective : Cranioplasty using a cryopreserved skull flap is a wide spread practice. The most well-known complications of cranioplasty are postoperative surgical infections and bone flap resorption. In order to find biological evidence of cryopreserved cranioplasty, we investigated microorganism contamination of cryopreserved skulls and cultured osteoblasts from cryopreserved skulls. Methods : Cryopreserved skull flaps of expired patients stored in a bone bank were used. Cryopreserved skulls were packaged in a plastic bag and wrapped with cotton cloth twice. After being crushed by a hammer, cancellous bone between the inner and outer table was obtained. The cancellous bone chips were thawed in a water bath of $30^{\circ}C$ rapidly. After this, osteoblast culture and general microorganism culture were executed. Osteoblast cultures were done for 3 weeks. Microorganism cultures were done for 72 hours. Results : A total of 47 cryopreserved skull flaps obtained from craniectomy was enrolled. Of the sample, 11 people were women, and the average age of patients was 55.8 years. Twenty four people had traumatic brain injuries, and 23 people had vascular diseases. Among the patients with traumatic brain injuries, two had fracture compound comminuted depressed. The duration of cryopreservation was, on average, 83.2 months (9 to 161 months). No cultured osteoblast was observed. No microorganisms were cultured. Conclusion : In this study, neither microorganisms nor osteoblasts were cultured. The biological validity of cryopreserved skulls cranioplasty was considered low. However, the usage of cryopreserved skulls for cranioplasty is worthy of further investigation in the aspect of cost-effectiveness and risk-benefit of post-cranioplasty infection.

• Archives of Craniofacial Surgery
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.81-84
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• 2008

Purpose: The goals of cranioplasty are to protect the brain from trauma and restore normal cranial contour with as few complication as possible. In patient who suffered from cranial defect, the most satisfactory form of cranioplasty may be archived with autogenous bone grafts. We report on the treatment of large frontal bone defect using pericranial flap and split-rib graft. Methods: A 29-year-old male was referred to our department. He was involved in an automobile accident resulting in large frontal bone and sinus defect and skull basal defect. The reconstruction was undertaken using galeal frontalis myofascial flap and split-rib cranioplasty using bicoronal incision. Results: The postoperative course was successful. For 9 months follow up period, there was no complication about hematoma, infection, CSF leakage and washboard deformity. He was pleased with the results even when absolute symmetry was not achieved. Conclusion: We experienced large frontal bone and sinus defect and skull basal defect patient and successfully treated with split-rib graft and galeal frontalis myofascial flap.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.236-241
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• 2020

The goal of this study was to evaluate the hypothesis that not every patient with hydrocephalus after decompressive craniectomy needs cerebrospinal fluid diversion, and that cranioplasty should be performed before considering cerebrospinal fluid diversion. Methods: Data were collected from 67 individual traumatic brain injury patients who underwent cranioplasty between January 1, 2019 and December 31, 2019. Patients' clinical and radiographic progression was reviewed retrospectively based on their medical records. Results: Twenty-two of the 67 patients (32.8%) had ventriculomegaly on computed tomography scans before cranioplasty. Furthermore, 38 patients showed progressive ventriculomegaly after cranioplasty. Of these 38 patients, only six (15.7%) showed worsening neurologic symptoms, which were improved by the tap test; these patients eventually underwent ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement. Conclusions: Cerebrospinal fluid diversion is not always required for radiologically diagnosed ventriculomegaly in traumatic brain injury patients after decompressive craniectomy. A careful clinical and neurologic evaluation should be conducted before placing a shunt.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.332-335
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• 2022

We report on changes in the ascending reticular activating system (ARAS) concurrent with the recovery of impaired consciousness following rehabilitation and cranioplasty in a patient with traumatic brain injury (TBI), which were demonstrated on diffusion tensor tractography (DTT). A 34-year-old male patient was diagnosed with a traumatic intracerebral hemorrhage after falling from a height of approximately 7 m and underwent a right frontoparietotemporal decompressive craniectomy and hematoma removal. At 5 months after onset, when starting rehabilitation, the patient showed impaired consciousness, with a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of 4. Comprehensive rehabilitative therapy was provided until 14 months after onset, and his GCS score improved to 8. Cranioplasty was performed using auto-bone at 14 months after onset. One month after cranioplasty, his GCS score improved to 12. On the 15-month DTT, the deviated lower dorsal ARAS was restored on both sides, and the right side had become thicker. The right lower ventral ARAS was reconstructed, and increased neural connectivity of the upper ARAS was detected in both the prefrontal cortices. Thus, changes in the ARAS were demonstrated in a patient with TBI during recovery of consciousness following rehabilitation and cranioplasty.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.30 no.sup1
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• pp.51-54
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• 2001

Objective : Authors analyzed clinical outcomes of cranioplasty according to the materials used for covering defects of the skulls. Methods : From January 1997 to February 2000, there were forty one patients undergone cranioplasty at our institution. We used refrigerated autogenous bone flaps in 19 cases(group A) and methyl methacrylate(MMA) in 22 cases(group B). The medical records and plain skull radiographs of the patient were reviewed. Results : There were thirty men and eleven women. Mean follow up period was 12 months(From operation to last Outpatient department follow up). The mean operative time of the group A($136.8{\pm}3$ minutes) was shorter than the group B($172.7{\pm}2$ minutes, Mann-Whitney test, p=0.001). In group A, the degree of satisfaction was good in 8 cases, fair in 10, and poor in 1. In the group B, there were fair in 13 and poor in 9. So the cosmetic result was superior in the group A(Chi-square test, p=0.00). The complications were occured in one case of flap infection in the group A and 6 in the group B(one stitch abscess, 4 infected flaps, one subgaleal hematoma). Conclusion : Cranioplasty using refrigerated autogenous bone flap showed shorter operative time, better cosmetic results, and less complication rate than those using MMA.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.117-119
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• 2012

The sinking skin flap syndrome is a rare complication after a large craniectomy. It consists of a sunken skin above the bone defect with neurological symptoms such as severe headache, mental changes, focal deficits, or seizures. In patient with sinking skin flap syndrome, cerebral blood flow and cerebral metabolism are decreased by sinking skin flap syndrome, and it may cause the deterioration of autoregulation of brain. We report a case of a patient with sinking skin flap syndrome who suffered from reperfusion injury after cranioplasty with review of pertinent literature.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.51-53
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• 2008

The syndrome of the sinking skin flap was introduced to explain the phenomenon of neurological deterioration after decompressive craniectomy. A 37-year-old man was admitted with acute subdural hematoma and traumatic intraparenchymal hematoma. After decompressive craniectomy, the patient suffered from hydrocephalus for which a ventriculoperitoneal (V-P) shunt was inserted. Following this procedure, the depression of the skin flap became remarkable and his mentation was deteriorated. The patient recovered uneventfully after temporary elevating of valve pressure and cranioplasty. We present a patient who was successfully managed with elevation of valve pressure and cranioplasty for the syndrome of the sinking scalp flap with review of a pertinent literature.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.51-53
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• 2006

Decompressive craniectomy is usually performed to relieve raised intracranial pressure[ICP] caused by various intracranial lesions. A 67-year-old man presented with acute subdural hematoma and traumatic intracerebral hematoma. The patient underwent a decompressive craniectomy. Four weeks later, the patient presented with acute neurological deterioration. Brain computed tomographic[CT] scans revealed the marked concavity of the brain at the site of the craniectomy and associated with midline shift which was reversed by cranioplasty. We report an unusual case of cerebral herniation from intracranial hypotension after decompressive craniectomy for a traumatic subdural hematoma. The cranioplasty may be helpful to prevent paradoxial cerebral herniation.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.438-442
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• 2006

The sylvian aqueduct syndrome is a global rostral midbrain dysfunction induced by a transtentorial pressure gradient through the aquaeductus. Several months after ventriculoperitoneal shunt, a patient with hydrocephalus began experiencing a constellation of midbrain dysfunction symptoms, including bradykinesia, medial longitudinal fasciculus syndrome, third nerve palsy, and mutism. These were indicative of cerebral aqueduct syndrome. In addition, the patient showed posture-dependent underdrainage or overdrainage. All symptoms were resolved after distal catheter elongation and floating cranioplasty. We present a case of reversible parkinsonism, which developed in a patient with shunted hydrocephalus and aqueductal stenosis, and discuss the diagnosis and treatment of the sylvian aqueduct syndrome. We also review the literature to address problems of drainage and potential treatment modalities.