• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.117-121
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• 2006

The surgical removal of solid deep-seated hemangioblastomas remains challenging, because treatment of these lesions is often complicated by severe bleeding associated with the rich vascularity of this tumor, and by severe neural tissue injury associated with the difficulty of en bloc resection, especially when the tumor is located at the cervicomedullary junction. Therefore, preoperative embolization of deep-seated solid hemangioblastomas may play an important role in successful surgical removal by reducing major bleeding and neural tissue damage. A 24-year-old woman, 28-weeks pregnant, was admitted to our hospital for the evaluation of quadriparesis, and brain magnetic resonance imaging[MRI] revealed intra-axial mass lesion in the cervicomedullary junction. After delivery, her neurologic symptoms became aggravated, and we decided to operate. Preoperative angiography revealed a hypervascular tumor in the posterior fossa, and embolization of the main feeding artery using gelfoam and microcoil, resulted in marked reduction of tumor vascularity. She underwent a midline suboccipital craniotomy involving the removal of the arch of C-1. The tumor was totally removed through a midline myelotomy, and at her 6-month follow-up she walked independently. We report on the combined use of the preoperative embolization of feeding vessels and subsequent operative resection in a patient with a solid hemangioblastoma at the cervicomedullary junction immediately after delivery.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.252-255
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• 2011

Authors report a case of a painless acute dissecting aneurysm of the descending aorta in a patient who presented with unexplained hypotension followed by simultaneous paraplegia and right arm monoparesis. To our knowledge, case like this has not been reported previously. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain and spine revealed hemodynamic cerebral infarction and extensive cord ischemia, respectively. Computerized tomography angiography confirmed a dissecting aneurysm of the descending aorta. The cause of the brain infarction may not have been embolic, but hemodynamic one. Dissection-induced hypotension may have elicited cerebral perfusion insufficiency. The cause of cord ischemia may be embolic or hemodynamic. The dissected aorta was successfully replaced into an artificial patch graft. The arm monoparesis was improved, but the paraplegia was not improved. In rare cases of brain and/or spinal cord infarction caused by painless acute dissecting aneurysm of the aorta, accurate diagnosis is critical because careless thrombolytic therapy can result in life-threatening bleeding.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.221-224
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• 2015

Hemifacial spasm (HFS) is a clinical syndrome characterized by unilateral facial nerve dysfunction. The usual cause involves vascular compression of the seventh cranial nerve, but compression by an artery passing through the facial nerve is very unusual. A 20-year-old man presented with left facial spasm that had persisted for 4 years. Compression of the left facial nerve root exit zone by the anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA) was revealed on magnetic resonance angiography. During microvascular decompression surgery, penetration of the distal portion of the facial nerve root exit zone by the AICA was observed. At the penetrating site, the artery was found to have compressed the facial nerve and to be immobilized. The penetrated seventh cranial nerve was longitudinally split about 2 mm. The compressing artery was moved away from the penetrating site and the decompression was secured by inserting Teflon at the operative site. Although the facial spasm disappeared in the immediate postoperative period, the patient continued to show moderate facial weakness. At postoperative 12 months, the facial weakness had improved to a mild degree. Prior to performing microvascular decompression of HFS, surgeons should be aware of a possibility for rare complex anatomy, such as compression by an artery passing through the facial nerve, which cannot be observed by modern imaging techniques.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.204-207
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• 2015

We are reporting an unusual case of dural arteriovenous fistula (AVF) of the superior sagittal sinus (SSS) after tamoxifen treatment for breast cancer. A 30-year-old female arrived at the emergency room with a sudden headache and left sided weakness and sensory loss. In her past medical history, she was diagnosed with breast cancer 1 year prior, and subsequently underwent a breast conserving mastectomy with whole breast radiation and adjuvant chemotherapy with tamoxifen. At the time of admission, computed tomography showed a small acute intracerebral hemorrhage at the right parietal cortex, and magnetic resonance imaging showed that a dural AVF at the SSS with a prominent and tortuous venous enhancement along the centrum semiovale was present. Cerebral angiography showed that the dural AVF at the mid-portion of the SSS with meningeal arterial feeding vessels entering the wall of the SSS, then draining through the dilated cortical veins. Our patient had no signs of active malignancy or any abnormalities in her coagulation profile, so it can be concluded that the tamoxifen was the likely cause of the SSS thrombosis and dural AVF. The dural AVF was treated by an endovascular coil embolization for the arterialized segment of the SSS. The patient dramatically recovered favorably from left side motor and sensory deficit. The best clinical approach is to screen potential patients of tamoxifen hormonal therapy and educate them on the sign and symptoms of life threatening thromboembolic events while taking tamoxifen.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.59-61
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• 2012

Although the mechanism of hemifacial spasm (HFS) is not yet well established, vascular compression of the facial nerve root exit zone and hyperexcitability of the facial nucleus have been suggested. We report a case of HFS in the setting of coinciding intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) of the pons and proximal ligation of the contralateral vertebral artery (VA) for the treatment of a fusiform aneurysm of the distal VA and discuss the possible etiologies of HFS in this patient. A 51-year-old male with an ICH of the pons was admitted to our hospital. Neuroimaging studies revealed an incidental fusiform aneurysm of the right VA distal to the origin of the posterior inferior cerebellar artery. Eight months after proximal ligation of the VA the patient presented with intermittent spasm of the left side of his face. Pre- and post-ligation magnetic resonance angiography revealed an enlarged diameter of the VA. The spasm completely disappeared after microvascular decompression.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.172-175
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• 2009

We describe a case of 36-year-old man who presented with a subacute headache preceded by a 1-month history of posterior neck pain without trauma history. Head and neck magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies disclosed bilateral supratentorial subdural and retroclival extradural hematomas associated with marked cervical epidural venous engorgement. Cerebral and spinal angiography disclosed no abnormalities except dilated cervical epidural veins. We performed serial follow-up MRI studied to monitor his condition. Patient's symptoms improved gradually. Serial radiologic studies revealed gradual resolution of pathologic findings. A 3-month follow-up MRI study of the brain and cervical spine revealed complete resolution of the retroclival extradural hematoma, disappearance of the cervical epidural venous engorgement, and partial resolution of the bilateral supratentorial subdural hematoma. Complete resolution of the bilateral supratentorial subdural hematoma was confirmed on a 5-month follow-up brain MRI. The diagnosis and possible mechanisms of this rare association are discussed.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.159-162
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• 2008

Stenting is a useful alternative treatment modality in carotid artery stenosis patients who are too high-risk to undergo carotid endarterectomy (CEA). We report a case of contralateral cerebral infarction after stenting for extracranial carotid stenosis. A 78-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital with left-sided weakness. Based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain and conventional angiography, she was diagnosed with an acute watershed infarct of the right hemisphere secondary to severe carotid stenosis. Stenting was performed for treatment of the right carotid artery stenosis after a one-week cerebral angiogram was completed. Thirty minutes after stent placement, the patient exhibited a generalized seizure. Four hours later, brain MRI revealed left hemispheric cerebral infarction. Complex aorta-like arch elongation, tortuosity, calcification, and acute angulation at the origin of the supra-aortic arteries may increase the risk of procedural complications. In our case, we suggest that difficult carotid artery catheterization, with aggressive maneuvering during stenting, likely injured the tortuous, atherosclerotic aortic arch, and led to infarction of the contralateral cerebral hemisphere by thromboemboli formed on the wall of the atherosclerotic aorta.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.48-50
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• 2014

A 70-year-old woman presented with headaches and recurrent stroke symptoms. During five years, the patient has been treated for cerebral infarction associated with severe atherosclerotic stenosis of the internal carotid artery. Three-year follow-up magnetic resonance angiography showed a tiny de novo aneurysm arising from the distal part of atherosclerotic internal carotid artery. And 5-year follow-up three-dimensional CT angiogram demonstrated a definite aneurysm enlargement as large as requiring treatment. During dissection of aneurysm, the oculomotor nerve was found to be penetrated with the growing de novo aneurysm. The authors report a case of a de novo aneurysm, which resulted from atherosclerotic stenosis of the internal carotid artery at the supraclinoid portion, that was found to be penetrating the oculomotor nerve with no ocular palsy.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.40-44
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• 2011

We present a case of tacrolimus-induced encephalopathy after successful kidney transplantation. An 11-year-old girl presented with sudden onset of neurologic symptoms, hypertension, and psychiatric symptoms, with normal kidney function, after kidney transplantation. The symptoms improved after cessation of tacrolimus. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed acute infarction of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) territory in the right frontal lobe. Three days later, she had normal mental function and maintained normal blood pressure with left hemiparesis. Follow-up MRI was performed on D19, showing new infarct lesions at both cerebral hemispheres. Ten days later, MRI showed further improvement, but brain single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) showed mild reduction of uptake in both the anterior cingulate gyrus and the left thalamus. One month after onset of symptoms, angiography showed complete resolution of stenosis. However, presenting as a mild fine motor disability of both hands and mild dysarthria, what had been atrophy at both centrum semiovale at 4 months now showed progression to encephalomalacia. There are two points of interest in this case. First, encephalopathy occurred after administration of tacrolimus and improved after discontinuation of the drug. Second, the development of right-side hemiplegia could not be explained by conventional MRI; but through diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and diffusion tensor tractography (DTT) of white matter tract, visualization was possible.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.34 no.8
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• pp.644-647
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• 2001

Lamierre's syndrome is characterized by a rare fulminant condition resulting from primary oropharyngeal infection followed by secondary septic thrombophlebitis of the internal jugular vein and metastatic infection. A forty-year-old man who had been on ventilator due to servere chest trauma, showed severe reddish inflammatory swelling of the right cervical soft tissue and newly developed pneumonia. He went into in septic condition shortly thereafter. Thrombophlebitis with central abscess in the right internal jugular vein was identified by neck CT and MRA(magnetic resonance angiography). Right cervical swelling worsened in spite of clindamycin and heparin therapy. We performed immediate surgery for removal of septic thrombus and resection of internal jugular vein. Patient's septic condition, pneumonia, and local inflammatory reaction were improved within several days after surgery.