• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.200-203
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• 2007

We describe a case that showed augmention of the superficial temporal artery [STA] pedicle's patency 15 months after extracranial to intracranial [EC-IC] bypass surgery for a carotid artery occlusion with contralateral intracranial internal carotid artery stenosis. It is rare that meager patency of the STA pedicle in the early postoperative angiogram can be become well augmented with time where most branches of the middle cerebral artery [MCA] are robustly filled with blood from the STA. A 28-year-old woman with a history of a previous left hemispheric stroke presented with slurred speech after several bouts of seizure. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a new infarct on the right hemisphere in addition to an old infarct on the left hemisphere. Carotid angiography revealed stenosis of the right carotid siphon and occlusion of the left carotid artery. The patient underwent EC-IC bypass on the right side. Even though the early postoperative angiogram showed meager filling of MCA with no significant stenotic lesion change, a subsequent angiogram taken 15 months later, demonstrated a widely patent STA pedicle with occlusion of the previous intracranial stenotic lesion. Selected cases with an inaccessible intracranial stenotic lesion can benefit from EC-IC bypass surgery; however, its clear indication should first be established.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.280-288
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• 2013

Objective : Perfusion computed tomography (PCT) has the ability to measure quantitative value and produce maps of mean transit time (MTT), cerebral blood flow (CBF), and cerebral blood volume (CBV). We assessed cerebral hemodynamics by using these parameters and acetazolamide (ACZ) challenge for pre- and post-procedural evaluation in patients with unilateral cerebrovascular stenotic disease. Methods : Thirty patients underwent pre-procedural PCT with ACZ challenge, and 24 patients (80%) was conducted follow up PCT after angioplasty with same protocol. The mean MTT, CBF, and CBV were measured and compared in both middle cerebral arterial (MCA) territories before and after ACZ challenge. Hemispheric ratio and percent change after ACZ challenge were calculated before and after angioplasty. Results : The mean stenosis rate was 76.6%. Significant increases in MTT (32.6%, p=0.000) and significant decreases in CBF (-14.2%, p=0.000) were found in stenotic side MCA territories. After ACZ challenge, there were significant changes in MTT (37.4%, p=0.000), CBF (-13.1%, p=0.000), and CBV (-10.5%, p=0.001) in pre-procedural perfusion study. However, no significant increases were found in MTT, or decreases in CBF and CBV in post-procedural study. There were no significant changes after ACZ challenge also. In addition, the degrees of these changes (before and after ACZ challenge) were highly correlated with the stenotic degrees in pre-procedural perfusion study. Conclusion : PCT with ACZ challenge appears to be a useful tool to assess the cerebral perfusion status especially in patients with unilateral symptomatic stenotic disease.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.427-435
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• 2007

Recently, intracranial atherosclerosis has become a major cause of ischemic stroke, appearing more frequently in Koreans than Caucasians. Symptomatic or asymptomatic intracranial atherosclerosis is a disease that could recur readily even during the treatment with anti-platelet agents. When the symptoms develop, ischemic stroke can not be recovered readily. Therefore, aggressive treatments such as endovascular therapy and bypass surgery are required in addition to medical treatment for the intracranial artery stenosis. Recent intracranial stenting and drug eluting stenting have shown as very advanced effective therapeutic modalities. Nevertheless, until now, a randomized controlled study has not been conducted. Regarding bypass surgery, since the failed EC-IC bypass surgery study performed 20 years ago, extensive studies on its efficacy has not been conducted yet, and thus it has to be performed strictly only in hemodynamically compromised patients. Unless breakthrough drugs that suppress the progression of intracranial atherosclerosis and the formation of thrombi, and facilitate the regression of the arterial stenosis, the treatment concept of the recovery of the blood flow of stenotic arterial territory by mechanical recanalization or bypass surgery would be remained for the prevention as well as treatment of ischemic stroke caused by intracranial atherosclerosis.