• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.391-396
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• 2007

Objective : This study was performed to review the clinical characteristics and operative results of brain abscess in order to define the therapeutic strategy for this disease. Methods : We reviewed the medical records and radiology images of brain abscess patients treated in our hospital during the last 16 years. A total of 35 cases included 23 males and 12 females, with the mean age of 48 years old. We excluded cases of postoperative, post traumatic, and fungal abscess. All patient underwent at least one surgical treatment such as stereotactic aspiration or craniotomy with excision. Results : Twenty seven [77.1%] patients presented with symptoms of increased intracranial pressure. The frontal lobe was the most common anatomical place, and streptococcal species were the most frequently encountered pathogens. The chronic pulmonary diseases and chronic otitis media are common underlying condition. Eighteen patients underwent stereotactic aspiration and 17 patients had excision of their abscess as an initial treatment. Seven patients had a repeated surgery, 6 of them had been treated with aspiration initially. At discharge, 60.0% patients showed a favorable outcome. Conclusion : The stereotactic drainage would be more suitable for the brain abscess located in deep and eloquent area. A large, solitary, and well-encapsulated lesion of superficial location could be best treated with complete excision, and this procedure was more definite because it is associated with less repeated surgery and showed more favorable outcome compared to aspiration surgery.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.387-390
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• 2007

Objective : To determine the presentation, incidence, and risk factors of seizures in patients treated for brain tumors. Methods : One hundred patients who consecutively underwent a craniotomy for the treatment of supratentorial brain tumors were assessed. The pathologies of the patients enrolled in the study included glioma [n=56], meningioma [n=31], metastatic brain tumor [n=7], primary central nervous system lymphoma [n=4], and central neurocytoma [n=2]. Anti-epileptic drugs [AEDs] were administered to all patients for up to six months after the surgery. Pre-defined variables for outcome analysis included tumor grade and location, extent of tumor resection, number of seizures, age at tumor diagnosis, adjuvant therapy, medication and radiological abnormalities. Results : Thirty patients [30%] presented at least a single episode of seizure at the time of admission. Five of these patients [16.7%] developed the seizure during the follow-up period. Newly developed seizure was noticed in six out of seventy patients [8.6%] without prior seizure. Histopathology was malignant gliomas in 10 and supratentorial meningioma in one. Early seizure developed only in two patients. Conclusion : Compared with patients without seizure, patients with seizure at the time of admission showed younger age [p=0.003], a higher portion of low-grade glioma [p=0.001], tumor location in the frontal and temporal lobes [p=0.003] and cortical involvement [p=0.017]. Our study suggestes that tumor progression is considered a significant risk factor for seizure development in glioma patients.

• Archives of Craniofacial Surgery
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.107-110
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• 2011

Purpose: There have been few case reports regarding treatment plans for long-term, neglected scalp defects and calvarial defects with subdural abscess. The purpose of this case report is to present our experience with a free latissimus dorsi musculocutaneous flap for scalp and calvarial defects and to discuss flap options in comparison with a literature review. Methods: A 60-year-old man who fell down from a four-story-height that resulted in a craniotomy in 1979; he visited our outpatient clinic for a chronic, purulent scalp and calvarial defects with unidentified artificial bone. The artificial bone was removed by a neurosurgeon and reconstructed with a free latissimus dorsi musculocutaneous flap. The deep temporal artery was used as a recipient artery. The postoperative flap status was excellent until the 6th day post-operation when the patient experienced a seizure, and an arterial insufficiency occurred at the flap probably due to an arterial spasm. Emergency exploration with arterial re-anastomosis was performed and the flap status was stabilized. Results: Complete wound healing was achieved after 3 weeks without infectious and systemic postoperative complications. During the 6 month follow-up period, there were no complications. Conclusion: We suggest the latissimus dorsi myocutaneous free flap as a good treatment option for a chronic, purulent, complicated scalp with calvarial defect, as a well as treatment for an acute traumatic defect.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.65 no.4
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• pp.582-590
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• 2022

Objective : Hydrocephalus after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is known to be related to poor prognosis and mortality. We analyzed predictors of permanent hydrocephalus in the patients with surgically treated supratentorial ICH. Methods : From 2004 to 2019, a total of 414 patients with surgically treated primary supratentorial ICH were included. We retrospectively analyzed age, sex, preexisting hypertension and diabetes, location and volume of ICH, presence and severity of intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), and type of surgery. Results : Forty patients (9.7%) required shunt surgery. Concomitant IVH was higher in the 'shunt required' group (92.5%) than in the 'shunt not required' group (67.9%) (p=0.001). IVH severity was worse in the 'shunt required' group (13.5 vs. 7.5, p=0.008). Craniectomy (47.5%) was significantly high in the 'shunt required' group. According to multivariable analysis, the presence of an IVH was 8.1 times more frequent and craniectomy was 8.6 times more frequent in the 'shunt required' group. In the comparison between craniotomy and craniectomy group, the presence of an IVH was related with a 3.9 times higher (p=0.033) possibility and craniectomies rather than craniotomies with a 7-times higher possibility of shunt surgery (p<0.001). Within the craniectomy group, an increase in the craniectomy area by 1 cm² was correlated with a 3.2% increase in the possibility of shunt surgery (odds ratio, 1.032; 95% confidence interval, 1.005-1.061; p=0.022). Conclusion : Presence of IVH, the severity of IVH and decompressive craniectomy were related to the development of shunt dependent hydrocephalus in the patients with ICH. The increasing size of craniectomy was related with increasing rate of shunt requirement.

• Archives of Craniofacial Surgery
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.178-182
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• 2022

Postoperative temporal hollowing is a common complication of craniotomy. Damage and repositioning of the temporalis muscle can lead to a depression in the temporal side of the skull with inferior bulging, worsening aesthetic outcomes. We report a case of cranioplasty with three-dimensional (3D) printed mesh involving an additional correction using a temporalis muscle sling to help address this problem. A 3D-printed bioabsorbable mesh was prepared based on preoperative facial computed tomography, and was fixed to the hollowed area for tissue augmentation. The temporalis muscle was elevated and fanned out to its original position, and a sling was attached to a screw that was fixed to the mesh. For reinforcement, an additional sling was attached to another screw fixed to the mesh 2-3 cm vertically above the first screw. Aesthetic results were confirmed immediately after surgery and later during outpatient follow-up. Both depression and lateral bulging were resolved, and there was no delayed drooping of the temporalis muscle on 6-month follow-up. There were no complications, and the patient was satisfied with the appearance. This is a simple yet effective technique with a low risk of complications, and should be considered for postoperative temporal hollowing patients, especially those with severe lateral bulging.

• Archives of Craniofacial Surgery
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.59-63
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• 2022

Background: Deformational plagiocephaly is usually managed conservatively, as it tends to improve over time and with the use of conservative measures. However, before the year 2017 we operated on patients with severe plagiocephaly and neurological symptoms at the Helsinki Cleft Palate and Craniofacial Center. Methods: Of the 20 infants with severe deformational plagiocephaly and neurological symptoms referred to us between 2014 and 2016, 10 underwent cranioplasty open reshaping of the posterior cranial vault. The parents of the last 10 patients were given information on the natural history of the condition and the patients were followed up with an outpatient protocol. The aim of this study was to gain information on the brain electrophysiology and recovery of patients after total cranial vault reconstruction by measuring the electroencephalogram (EEG) somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP; median nerve). Results: Of the 10 participants in the operation arm, six had abnormal SEP at least on the affected cerebral hemisphere and all SEPs were recorded as normal when controlled postoperatively. In the follow-up arm, eight out of 10 participants had abnormal SEP at the age of approximately 24 months, and all had normalized SEPs at control visits. Conclusion: Our data suggest that cranioplasty open reshaping of the posterior cranial vault did not affect abnormal SEP-EEG recordings. We have abandoned the operations in deformational plagiocephaly patients due to findings suggesting that expanding cranioplasty is not beneficial for brain function in this patient group.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.65 no.3
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• pp.457-468
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• 2022

Objective : The clinical management paradigm of skull base chordomas is still challenging. Surgical resection plays an important role of affecting the prognosis. Endonasal endoscopic approach (EEA) has gradually become the preferred surgical approach in most cases, but traditional transcranial surgery cannot be completely replaced. This study presents a comparison of the results of the two surgical strategies and a summary of the treatment algorithms for skull base chordomas. Methods : We retrospectively analyzed the surgical outcomes and follow-up data of 48 patients with skull base chordomas diagnosed pathologically who received transnasal midline approaches (TMA) and transcranial lateral approaches (TLA) from 2010 to 2020. Results : Among the 48 patients, 36 cases were adopted TMA and 12 cases were performed with TLA. In terms of gross total resection (GTR) rate, 27.8% in TMA and 16.7% in TLA and with EEA alone it was increased to 38.9%, while 29.7% in primary surgery. In TMA, the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak remains the most common complication (13 cases, 36.1%), other main complications included death, cranial nerve palsy, hypopituitarism, all the comparisons were no statistical significance. The Karnofsky Performance Scale scores in TMA were all better than those in TLA at different time, and the overall survival (OS) and recurrence free survival/progression free survival was just the reverse. Conclusion : The EEA for skull base chordomas resection has improved the GTR rate, but transcranial approach is still an alternative approach. It is necessary to select an appropriate surgical approach based on the location and the pattern of tumor growth in order to obtain the best surgical outcomes.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.159-164
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• 2023

A brain abscess is a potentially life-threatening infection of the brain that can be challenging to diagnose, especially in children. In this report, we describe a case of a central nervous system infection caused by rare pathogens in an immunocompetent child. A 10-year-old female presented with a severe headache lasting 10 days, along with flashing lights, nausea, and vomiting. The patient was diagnosed with secundum atrial septal defect 7 years ago and underwent dental work for cavities one month prior to admission. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a 4.2 cm sized brain abscess in the right parietal lobe, causing left inferior quadrantanopia. A craniotomy and abscess aspiration surgery were performed, and cultures from the aspirated pus and tissue revealed Aggregatibacter aphrophilus. Additionally, Actinomyces georgiae was identified through 16S rRNA sequencing. After 8 weeks of antimicrobial therapy with ampicillin-sulbactam, the patient was discharged without any complications. A follow-up brain MRI showed complete resolution of the abscess and edema.

• Journal of Cerebrovascular and Endovascular Neurosurgery
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.380-389
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• 2023

Objective: Middle meningeal artery embolization (MMAe) has burgeoned as a treatment for chronic subdural hematoma (cSDH). This study evaluates the safety and short-term outcomes of MMAe patients relative to traditional treatment approaches. Methods: In this retrospective large database study, adult patients in the National Inpatient Sample from 2012-2019 with a diagnosis of cSDH were identified. Cost of admission, length of stay (LOS), discharge disposition, and complications were analyzed. Propensity score matching (PSM) was utilized. Results: A total of 123,350 patients with cSDH were identified: 63,450 without intervention, 59,435 surgery only, 295 MMAe only, and 170 surgery plus MMAe. On PSM analysis, MMAe did not increase the risk of inpatient complications or prolong the length of stay compared to conservative management (p>0.05); MMAe had higher cost ($31,170 vs. $10,768, p<0.001) than conservative management, and a lower rate of nonroutine discharge (53.8% vs. 64.3%, p=0.024). Compared to surgery, MMAe had shorter LOS (5 vs. 7 days, p<0.001), and lower rates of neurological complications (2.7% vs. 7.1%, p=0.029) and nonroutine discharge (53.8% vs. 71.7%, p<0.001). There was no significant difference in cost (p>0.05). Conclusions: MMAe had similar LOS and decreased odds of adverse discharge with a modest cost increase compared to conservative management. There was no difference in inpatient complications. Compared to surgery, MMAe treatment was associated with decreased LOS and rates of neurological complications and nonroutine discharge. This nationwide analysis supports the safety of MMAe to treat cSDH.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.30 no.11
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• pp.1340-1344
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• 2001

This is a rare case of cerebral metastasis from malignant fibrous histiocytoma(MFH) of the soft tissue. A 62-year-old man underwent craniotomy for resection of multiple intracerebral masses under the impression of metastatic brain tumor with unknown primary site. Preoperative investigation failed to detect any extracranial lesion. At six months after the operation and whole brain radiotherapy, right shoulder mass was detected to grow and excised. Specimen from the brain and shoulder lesions revealed identical pathological findings of malignant fibrous histiocytoma except existence of glial fibrillary acidic protein(GFAP)-positive cells only in brain lesions. Palliative radiotherapy was performed for subsequently developing metastatic lesions in skeletal system. At twelve months after initial diagnosis recurrent lesion at right shoulder was detected and chemotherapy is given. This case is unique because metastatic brain lesion from MFH is rare and also cerebral metastasis as an initial manifestaion of MFH has not been reported before. Another important finding is that there was expression of GFAP only in brain lesions but not in extracranial primary site lesion. Although the presence of GFAP-positive cells is thought as one of characteristic histological findings of primary intracrainal MFH, our observation supports the hypothesis that GFAP-positive cells in primary intracranial MFH may be nonneoplastic astrocytes secondarily involved by MFH.