• 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.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.85-91
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• 2000

Purpose : The aim of this study is to look for the possible efficacy of postoperative external irradiation for incompletely resected meningiomas. Methods and Materials : From August 198: to January 1997, forty-four patients with intracranial meningioma were treated by postoperative external irradiation. Of the 44 meningiomas, 18 transitional, 13 meningotheliomatous, 6 hemangiopericytic, 4 atypical, 2 fibroblastic and 1 malignant meningioma were identified. We classified all patients into two groups by the histology. The benign group was consisted of the meningotheliomatous, transitional and fibroblastic types. The malignant group was consisted of the atypical, hemangiopericytic and malignat types. In the means of surgery, 37 patients were resected incompletely and 7 patients were managed by biopsy only. After surgery, all patients were received postoperative external irradiation. Radiotherapy was deliverd using Co-60 or 4 MV photon beam to a total dose of 50 to 65 Gy (mean dose 57.4 Gy) with a 1.8 to 2 Gy per fraction. The median follow-up was 48 months (range : 21 $\~$ 101 months). Multivariate analysis of the Influence by age, sex, location, histology and radiation dose on local control has been done using Cox's proportional hazard model. Results : 5-year local control rate was 93.8$\%$ for the benign histology and 51.8$\%$ for the malignant histology (p=0.0110) and overall local control rate at 5 years was 87.4$\%$. The analysis of the prognostic factors, such as age, sex, location, and radiation dose were not significant except for the histology. Conclusion : Adjuvant postoperative external irradiation appears to be significantly improved local control in the patients with incompletely resected meningiomas.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.29 no.11
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• pp.1437-1444
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• 2000

Objectives : Traditionally intracranial meningiomas are regarded as benign and curable tumors. About half of all intracranial meningiomas locate in the skull base region. However, surgical removal of these tumors may be challenging and require special considerations. Here general aspects of skull base meningiomas including clinical presentation, surgical approaches, complications and their recurrence rate are discussed based on our experiences. Methods : A retrospective analysis of 61 consecutive patients with skull base meningioma among 210 patients of meningioma between 1989 and 1998 were done. Results : There were 41 women and 20 men ranging from 13 to 74 years(mean 52 years). These tumors were divided into seven categories according to location : olfactory groove(n＝9), sphenoid ridge(n＝16), cavernous sinus(n ＝2), tuberculum sellae(n＝8), tentorium(n＝13), cerebellopontine angle(n＝12), and foramen magnum meningiomas (n＝1). Surgical approaches were selected on the basis of the tumor attachment, size and extension on preoperative radiologic findings. Total removal(Simpson grade I and II) was achieved in 50 cases(82%), and subtotal removal (Simpson grade III) in 11 patients(18%). According to WHO classification, there were 52 of cases of benign meningioma( 86%), 6 atypical cases(10%), and 3 malignant cases(5%). The most common postoperative complications were CSF leakage(23.0%) and cranial nerve injury(8.2%). Three patient died related with tumor(one was due to surgical complication and the other two due to recurrence) but three patients died from other systemic causes. Mean follow-up period was 51.7 months after surgery. Recurrence occurred in six patients(10.9%) ; three with tentorial meningioma, two with sphenoid ridge, and one in cerebellopontine angle. Conclusion : With advances in neuroradiology and microsurgical techniques, the surgical outcome of miningiomas has been markedly improved with acceptable morbidity and mortality rates. Overall, our surgical results of skull base meningiomas is comparable to other reports. Therefore, with the appropriate operative strategy and techniques, these tumors can be completely removed and good surgical results can be expected.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.145-152
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• 2010

Objective : The aim of this report is to provide accurate nationwide epidemiologic data on primary central nervous system (CNS) tumors in Korea. Despite its importance, there are no accurate statistics on primary CNS tumors in Korea. We analyzed primary CNS tumors diagnosed in 2005 from the nationwide registry. Methods : Data on primary CNS tumors diagnosed in 2005 were collected from the Korean Central Cancer Registry and the Korean Brain Tumor Society. Crude and age-standardized rates were calculated in terms of gender, age, and histological type. Tumors of uncertain histology were investigated individually at the corresponding hospitals and had their diagnoses confirmed. Results : A total of 5,692 patients diagnosed with primary CNS tumors in 2005 were included in this study. CNS tumors occurred in females more often than in males (female to male, 1.43 : 1). The most common tumor was meningioma (31.2%). Glioblastoma accounted for 30.7% of all gliomas, and 19.3% of all malignant primary CNS tumors. In children under 19 years of age, both germ cell tumor and embryonal/primitive/medulloblastoma were the most common tumors. Conclusion : This article is the first nationwide primary CNS tumor epidemiology report in Korea. Data from this study should provide valuable information regarding the understanding of primary CNS tumors epidemiology in Korea.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.371-380
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• 2000

Purpose: Thallim-201 ($^{201}Tl$) brain SPECT, which can represent cellular activity of brain lesions, may provide more useful information in differentiating between benign and malignant brain lesions more so than CT of MRI, that merely represents anatomic changes or breakdown of blood brain barrier. We used $^{201}Tl$ brain SPECT prospectively to evaluate the utility of $^{201}Tl$-indices as an indicator of benign or malig nant lesions. Materials and Methods: We studied 28 patients. There were 13 cases of benign lesions (3: nonspecific benign lesion, 3: meningioma, 2: low grade glioma, 1: tuberculoma, central neurocytoma, hemangioblastoma, radiation necrosis, and choroid plexus papilloma) and 15 cases of malignant lesions (6: glioblastoma multiforme, 5: anaplastic glioma, 2: medulloblastoma, 1: metastasis and lymphoma). In all patients, CT and/or MRI were obtained and then $^{201}Tl$ brain SPECT was obtained with measuring mean $^{201}Tl$ index and peak $^{201}Tl$ index. An unpaired t-test was performed to compare the $^{201}Tl$-indices and pathologic diagnoses to evaluate the utility of $^{201}Tl$-indices as all indicator of benign or malignant lesions. Results: There were no statistically significant difference in $^{201}Tl$-indices between benign and malignant brain lesion (p>0.05). Conclusion: These results demonstrated that we could not use $^{201}Tl$ indices on brain SPECT alone as an indicator of benign or malignant brain lesions.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.172-176
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• 1999

Background: An increasing number of traumatic, infectious, degenerative, benign, and malignant lesions of the clivus and cervical spine are treated by head and neck surgeons. Surgical techniques vary according to the exact level of the lesion. Objectives: The purpose of this article are to introduce the surgical approach and to discript our experience and to analyze the advantage of the each methods. Materials and Methods: Transpalatal approach in clivus chordoma, transoral approach in C2 fibrous dysplasia, trans mandibular approach in clivus meningioma and transcervical approach in neulilemmoma were reviewed from the medical record. Results: Postoperative complications occured. Otitis media with effusion were observed in transoral and trans mandibular approach. Cranial nerve paralysis was observed in transcervical approach. But other complications such as swallowing difficulty persisting over 6 weeks, malunion of mandible, orocutaneous fistula, hemorrhage from major vessel were not observed. Conclusion: The various surgical techniques to be described herein serve to give the best exposure of each level of the lesions. Therefore head and neck surgeon plays a major role in the treatment of lesion in the clivus and anterior cervical spine according to the lower incidence of postoperative morbidity.