• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.99-105
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• 1999

Background and Objectives : The Motor evoked potentials (MEP) study may be useful in the evaluation of the degree of impairment in the motor nervous system and in the determination of the prognosis. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the status of central nervous system in acute and subacute state of cerebral ischemia by comparing the changes of MEP in the initial and follow-up study. Methods : Twenty patients with hemiparesis caused by ischemic stroke were recruited for this study. We tested MEP within 7 days and followed-up after 14 days after symptom onset. The cerebral motor cortex area, cervical area for upper extremity and lumbar area for lower extremity were stimulated by transmagnetic stimulator. The central motor conduction time(CMCT) was measured with the difference in MEP caused by stimulating the vertical area and spinal area. The CMCT of hemiparetic patients were classified into three groups-normal, delayed, and no evoked MEP groups. Results : The CMCT in hemiparetic side of acute ischemic stroke patients were singnificantly delayed (P < 0.05) compared with the control group. The CMCT of hemiparetic side in the follow-up study showed no sinificantly difference in comparison to the control group. The prognosis of motor improvement was better in the groups of delayed MEP than the groups of no evoked MEP. Conclusion : The CMCT of hemiparetic and contralateral sides were delayed in acute ischemic stroke, compared with control group and were returned to normal boundaries in subacute state. But in the most cases with no MEP response in the initial study, also showed no MEP response in the follow-up study. The recovery occurred in the subacute state in cases with mild hemiparesis, whereas recovery did not occur in the subacute stage in case with severe hemiparesis.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.459-469
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• 2016

Purpose: This comparative descriptive study was to identify gender differences in delay seeking treatment and related experiences in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Methods: Ninety-seven participants were recruited from a tertiary hospital. Results: Mean age of 47 women was $71.5{\pm}13.3$ while that of men was $55.0{\pm}10.9$ (p<.001). More women lived alone and were jobless, less educated, and poorer than men. Men were likely to be 'current smokers' and drink alcohol, however viewed themselves healthier than women (p=.030). Women's hospital stay was $9.23{\pm}21.04$ days while men's was $4.86{\pm}2.72$ days (p=.014). More women had been diagnosed with hypertension (p=.040). Women appeared to report significantly less pain ($6.46{\pm}3.1$) than men ($8.44{\pm}1.8$). More men described their pain as sudden onset (p=.015) and chest pain as major symptom (p=.034) than women. More women were found alone upon onset of symptoms (p=.023) and had important reasons for delay seeking treatment (p=.021) than men. Median time from onset of symptoms to seeking medical service was 1.5 hours for men and 5.1 hours for women (p=.003). Median time taken from onset of symptoms to hospital for therapy was 3.5 hours for men and 9.1 hours for women (p=.019). Conclusion: This study findings that women reported less pain and delayed in seeking treatment, suggest needs for strategies targeting women at risk of AMI.

• Journal of The Korean Dental Society of Anesthesiology
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• v.3 no.1 s.4
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• pp.34-37
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• 2003

Postoperative stroke is uncommon even in elderly patients, who have a higher incidence of all types of postoperative complications. The mechanism of postoperative stroke is not certain, but can be explained by intravascular clottings originated from thrombus or embolus or by intracranial hemorrhage. In a 66-year-old male patient with current hypertension medication, who underwent both neck dissection for malignancy metastasis under general anesthesia, the left hemiparesis and delayed emergency were found postoperatively. After transferred to intensive care unit, he got the thrombolytic therapy and then the therapies to decrease the swelling of the brain on the diagnosis of cerebral infarction in the vascular distribution of the middle cerebral artery. A brain MRI definitely showed the midline deviation to the left of the right brain hemisphere due to the progressing edematous changes. As he got worse, the emergency neurosurgical operation was proposed but rejected by his family. He died at postoperative 3 days. In this hypertensive patient. perioperative stroke could be originated from the surgical stimuli on major vessels, which were inevitable in neck dissection during the operation. We report this case of the postoperative stroke, which could be highly possible to be associated with extensive head and neck surgery.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.60 no.6
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• pp.723-729
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• 2017

Objective : Acute subdural hematoma (ASDH) is generally considered a condition that should be managed surgically. However, some patients initially receive conservative treatment, a subset of whom require surgical intervention later. This study aimed to evaluate the predictors of delayed surgical intervention in ASDH patients who are initially managed conservatively. Methods : From January 2007 to December 2015, 842 patients diagnosed with ASDH were treated at our institution. Among them, 158 patients with convexity ASDH were initially treated conservatively. Patients were divided into a delayed surgery group and a conservative group. Demographic characteristics, past medication and medical histories, and radiological and laboratory data were collected by retrospective chart review. Independent risk factors were identified with univariate and multivariate analyses. Results : Twenty-eight patients (17.7%) underwent delayed surgical intervention. Their mean age was 69.0 years, and 82.1% were male. Hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and heart disease prevalence and use of anti-platelet agents did not significantly differ from the conservative group. However, age (p=0.024), previous cerebral infarction history (p=0.026), increased maximal hematoma thickness (p<0.001), midline shifting (p=0.001) and accompanying subarachnoid hemorrhage (p=0.022) on initial brain computed tomography (CT) scan, low hemoglobin level (p<0.001), high leukocyte count (p=0.004), and low glucose level (p=0.002) were significantly associated with delayed surgical intervention. In multivariate analysis, increased maximal hematoma thickness (odds ratio [OR]=1.279, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.075-1.521; p=0.006), low hemoglobin level (OR=0.673, 95% CI 0.467-0.970; p=0.034), and high leukocyte count (OR=1.142, 95% CI 1.024-1.272; p=0.017) were independent risk factors for delayed surgical intervention. Conclusion : Due to the high likelihood of delayed surgical intervention among minimal ASDH patients with a thicker hematoma on initial brain CT, lower hemoglobin level, and higher leukocyte count, these patients should receive more careful observation.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.32-37
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• 1996

Between May 1991 and September 1995, 7 patients underwent surgical repair of ventricular septal defect (VSD) complicated with myocardial infarction in Asan Medical Center. The patients included two male and five female. The ages of patients were ranged from 54 years to 76 years with a mean of 65 years. The sites of postinfarction ventricular septal defect were consist of anterior septal defect in 6 patients and anteroposterior septal defect in 1 patient. Preoperative 2D-echocardiography & angiography were performed in all patients in order to measure ventricular function and evaluate the extent of coronary artery disease. The operations were delayed till mean 24 $\pm$ 12days after myocardial infarction. All patients underwent infarctectomy and Teflon patch closures through the area of the left ventricle infarction or aneurysm in the anterior or apical aspect of postinfarction ventricular septal defect. The ventricular septal defect repaired simultaneously with coronary artery b pass graft in 3 patients, with ventricular aneurysmectomy in 5 patients, and with left ventricular thrombectomy in 1 patient. Patch fixation in the left side of interventricular septum by tracts-septal interrupted pledget suture reduced the recurrence rate of VSD. There were 2 postoperative complications : One with pneumonia, 1 patient with the skin necrosis of left thigh. There was ilo early death. The 6 patients except for one emigrant were followed up postoperatively between 3 and 63 months(mean .28 months), without any sequelae and late death. They are in New York Heart Association functional class I-II.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.330-336
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• 1989

The patient was 47-year-old male who had suffered from aphasia and hemiplegia of the right side, but mental state was alert. On physical examination, BP was 130/80 mmHg in the right arm, but not checked in the left arm. The pulses of the left common carotid, brachial, and radial arteries were not palpable. The pulses of the right femoral, popliteal, and dorsalis pedis arteries were weakly palpable. Brain CT Scan revealed cerebral infarction of the left hemisphere. Aortogram showed occlusion of the left common carotid, and the right internal carotid and common iliac arteries. Subclavian steal phenomena were observed in the delayed aortogram. Double extra-anatomic bypasses; Axillo-Axillar bypass and Femora-Femoral bypass, were performed in the local anesthesia at two stages, because of risk of major operation under general anesthesia. Postoperatively, all pulses except for pulse of the left common carotid artery were equally palpable. On discharge, the hemiplegia of the right side was improved and able to walk with assistance.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.332-337
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• 2011

Background: The optimal timing of surgery for infective endocarditis complicated by embolic stroke is unclear. We compared early versus delayed surgery in these patients. Materials and Methods: Between 1992 and 2007, 56 consecutive patients underwent open cardiac surgery for the treatment of infective endocarditis complicated by acute septic embolic stroke, 34 within 2 weeks (early group) and 22 more than 2 weeks (delayed group) after the onset of stroke. Results: The mean age at time of surgery was $45.7{\pm}14.8$ years. Stroke was ischemic in 42 patients and hemorrhagic in 14. Patients in the early group were more likely to have highly mobile, large (>1 cm in diameter) vegetation and less likely to have hemorrhagic infarction than those in the delayed group. There were two (3.7%) intraoperative deaths, both in the early group and attributed to neurologic aggravation. Among the 54 survivors, 4 (7.1%), that is, 2 in each group, showed neurologic aggravation. During a median follow-up of 61.7 months (range, 0.4~170.4 months), there were 5 late deaths. Overall 5-year neurologic aggravation-free survival rates were $79.1{\pm}7.0%$ in the early group and $90.9{\pm}6.1%$ in the delayed group (p=0.113). Conclusion: Outcomes of early operation for infective endocarditis in stroke patients were similar to those of the conventional approach. Early surgical intervention may be preferable for patients at high risk of life-threatening septic embolism.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.190-194
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• 2015

Blunt cerebrovascular injury is defined as a vertebral or carotid arterial structural wall injury resulting from nonpenetrating trauma. Complete traumatic internal carotid artery occlusion is very rare condition accounting for 0.08~0.4 0f all trauma patients and believed to be associated with the greatest risk of ischemic stroke reported in 50~90% in a few small series. A 55-year-male was admitted with drowsy mentality and severe headache after a fall down accident. Brain computed tomography showed a subdural hematoma at the both frontal area with a fracture of the occipital skull bone. Two days after admission, he suddenly complained with a right side hemiparesis of motor grade 2. Brain magnetic resonance diffusion demonstrated multiple high flow signal changes from the left frontal and parietal lesion. Computed tomographic angiogram (CTA) revealed absence of the left ICA flow. Trans femoral cerebral angiography (TFCA) showed complete occlusion of the left internal carotid artery (ICA) at ophthalmic segment in the left ICA angiogram and flows on the left whole hemispheric lesions through the anterior communicating artery in the right ICA angiogram. We decided to conduct close observations as a treatment for the patient because of acute subdural hematoma and sufficient contralateral cerebral flow by perfusion SPECT scan. Two weeks after the accident, he was treated with heparin anticoagulation within INR 2~4 ranges. He recovered as the motor grade 4 without another neurologic deficit after 3 months.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.130-135
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• 2006

Objective : After ischemic stroke, partial recovery of function frequently occurs and may depend on the plasticity of axonal connections. Here, we examine whether blockade of the Nogo/NogoReceptor[NgR] pathway might enhance axonal sprouting and thereby recovery after focal brain infarction. Methods : Adult male Sprague Dawley rats weighing $250{\sim}350g$ were used. Left middle cerebral artery occlusion[MCAO] was induced with a intraluminal filament. An osmotic mini pump [Alzet 2ML4, Alza Scientific Products, Palo Alto, CA] for the infusion of NgR-Ecto[310]-Fc to block Nogo/NgR pathway was implanted 1 week after cerebral ischemia. Prior to induction of ischemia, all animals received training in the staircase and rotarod test. Two weeks after biotin dextran amine injection, animals were perfused transcardially with PBS, followed by 4% paraformadehyde/PBS solution. Brain and cervical spinal cord were dissected. Eight coronal sections spaced at 1mm intervals throughout the forebrain of each animal with cresyl violet acetate for determination of infarction size. Images of each section were digitized and the infarct area per section was measured with image analysis software. Results : Histological examination at 11 weeks post-MCAO demonstrates reproducible stroke lesions and no significant difference in the size of the stroke between the NgR[310]Ecto-Fc protein treated group and the control group. Behavioral recovery is significantly better and more rapid in the NgR-Ecto[310]-Fe treated group. Blockade of NgR enhances axonal sprouting from the uninjured cerebral cortex and improves the return of motor task performance. Conclusion : Pharmacological interruption of NgR allows a greater degree of axonal plasticity in response this is associated with improved functional recovery of complicated motor tasks.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2007

The obstacles for cardiac imaging are motion artifacts due to cardiac motion, respiration, and blood flow, and low signal due to small tissue volume of heart. To overcome these obstacles, fast imaging technique with ECG gating is utilized. Cardiac exam using MRI comprises of morphology, ventricular function, myocardial perfusion, metabolism, and coronary artery morphology. During cardiac morphology evaluation, double and triple inversion recovery techniques are used to depict myocardial fluidity and soft tissue structure such as fat tissue, respectively. By checking the first-pass enhancement of myocardium using contrast-enhanced fast gradient echo technique, myocardial blood flow can be evaluated. In addition, delayed imaging in 10 - 15 minutes can inform myocardial destruction such as chronic myocardial infarction. Ventricular function including regional and global wall motion can be checked by fast gradient echo cine imaging in quantitative way. MRI is acknowledged to be practical for integrated cardiac evaluation technique except coronary angiography. Especially delay imaging is the greatest merit of MRI in myocardial viability evaluation.