• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.63 no.4
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• pp.495-503
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• 2020

Objective : Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)-secreting pituitary adenoma (PA) is an extremely rare functioning form of PA that accounts for 0.7-2% of all such cases. The previously reported outcomes of the surgical removal of TSH-PA are poor. Owing to its extremely low incidence, most available reports on TSH-PA are case reports or small case series. Thus, we investigated the clinical and endocrinological outcomes of surgically treated TSH-PA through our institutional series. Methods : We retrospectively reviewed 14 consecutive cases of surgically treated TSH-PA, focusing on the clinical, radiological, surgical, and endocrinological data. Results : There were seven male (50%) and seven female (50%) patients. The mean age was 42.5 years (range, 19-63). The mean tumor size was 16.6 mm (range, 4-30). Optic chiasm compression was noted in six patients (42.9%), and no patient showed cavernous sinus invasion. Thirteen of 14 patients (92.8%) underwent transnasal transsphenoidal approach (TSA), and one patient underwent TSA followed by transcranial approach for residual tumor removal. Thirteen of 14 patients (92.8%) showed endocrinological remission; all patients who experienced remission showed subnormal levels of TSH (<0.4 μU/mL) on postoperative day 2. Recurrence occurred in two patients (14.2%). One patient underwent subsequent revision transnasal TSA for recurrent tumor removal, and the other patient underwent gamma knife radiosurgery for recurrence. Conclusion : Surgical treatment showed excellent surgical outcomes. The TSH level in the immediate postoperative period may be a predictor for endocrinological remission.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.102-106
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• 2010

Objective : To evaluate the clinical results of gross total resection in the surgical approach to spinal ependymoma. Methods : Between June 1995 and May 2009,13 males and 8 females (mean age 34) diagnosed with intramedullary or extramedullary spinal ependymoma were surgically treated at our centre. The neurological and functional state of each patient were evaluated according to the modified McCormick scale. Results : The average follow-up duration was 54 months (ranging from 12 to 168 months). The locations of the lesions were : thoracic region (4, 19%), lumbar region (7, 34%), cervical region (4, 19%), cervicothoracic region (3, 14%) and conus medullaris (3, 14%). Four patients (19%) had deterioration of neurological function in the early postoperative period. The neurological function of three patients was completely recovered at the 6th postoperative month, while that of another patient was recovered at the 14th month. In the last assessment of neurological function, 20 patients (95%) were assessed as McCormick grade 1. No perioperative complications developed in any of our patients. In one patient's 24-month assessment, tumour recurrence was observed. Re-operation was not performed and the patient was taken under observation. Conclusion : Two determinants of good clinical results after spinal ependymoma surgery are a gross total resection of the tumour and a good neurological condition before the operation. Although neurological deficits in the early postoperative period can develop as a result of gross total tumour resection, significant improvement is observed six months after the operation.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.246-249
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• 2012

Intracranial extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma is extremely rare, with only seven patients previously reported. We present a case report of a 21-year-old woman admitted for weakness in her right extremities and symptoms of increased intracranial pressure. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed hydrocephalus and a well-enhanced large mass around her left thalamus. A left parietal craniotomy and a cortisectomy at the superior parietal lobule were performed. Total surgical resection was also performed, and pathology results confirmed an extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma. Postoperative MRI showed no residual tumor, and the patient underwent radiotherapy. After six months of radiotherapy, the patient's headache and weakness had improved to grade IV. This malignant tumor showed high rates of recurrence in previous reports. We here report another occurrence of this highly malignant and rare tumor in a patient treated using total surgical excision and adjuvant radiotherapy.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.314-319
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• 2008

Objective: For patients with giant or dissecting aneurysm, multimodal treatment consisting extracranial-intracranial bypass surgery plus clip or coil for parent artery occlusion may be necessary. In this study, the safety and efficacy of multimodal treatment in 15 patients with complex aneurysms were evaluated retrospectively. Methods: From January 1995 to June 2007, the authors treated 15 complex aneurysms that were unable to be clipped or coiled. Among them, nine patitents had unruptured aneurysms and 6 had ruptured aneurysms. Aneurysms were located in the internal cerebral artery (ICA) in 11 patients (4 in the dorsal wall. 4 in the terminal ICA, 1 in the paraclinoid, and 2 in the cavernous ICA), in the middle cerebral artery (MCA) in 2, and in the posterior circulation in two patients Results: Fifteen patients with complex aneurysms were treated with bypass surgery previously. Thirteen patients were treated with external carotid middle cerebral artery (ECA-MCA) anastomosis, and one patient with superficial temporal to posterior cerebral artery (STA-PCA) and another patient with occipital artery to posterior inferior cerebellar artery (OA-PICA) anastomosis. Parent artery occlusion was then performed with a clip in 9 patients, with a coil in 4, with balloon plus coil in one patient. All 15 aneurysms were successfully treated with clip or coil combined with bypass surgery. Follow-up angiograms showed good patency of anastomotic site in 10 out of 11 patients, and perfusion study showed sufficient perfusion in 6 out of 9 patients. Conclusion: These findings indicate that for patients with complex aneurysms, clip or coil for parent vessel occlusion with additive bypass surgery can successfully exclude the aneurysm from the neurovascular circulatory system.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.980-988
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• 2022

The most common definition of postherpetic neuralgia is the presence of pain more than a month after the onset of the eruption of zoster. This case report suggests the effect of Korean medicine on postherpetic neuralgia. An 85-year-old male patient with postherpetic neuralgia was treated with a combination of Korean medical remedies. Kyung Hee Gongjin-dan and Hyangbujapalmul-tang-gagam were applied for 23 days. The Numerical Rating Scale was used to measure pain intensity. The Barthel Index and Beck Depression Inventory were used for the functional assessment and depression evaluation, respectively. After treatment, the patient's pain intensity decreased. Additionally, the patient's independence increased during activity, and the severity of their depression decreased. Thus, this case suggests that a combination of Korean medicine treatments might be effective for postherpetic neuralgia. In particular, it shows that Kyung Hee Gongjin-dan and Hyangbujapalmul-tang-gagam can be therapeutic options in the treatment of postherpetic neuralgia.

• The Journal of the Society of Stroke on Korean Medicine
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.102-110
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• 2012

Neuropsychiatric disorder is one of the symptoms developed after traumatic brain injury. The main symptoms of neuropsychiatric disorder are delirium, anxiety, depression and so on. We treated the patient with herbal medicine, acupuncture, moxibustion and other appropriate traditional Korean medical treatment. The patient only appeared neuropsychiatric disorder, not another neurologic symptoms. We consider it is the rare case in traditional Korean medicine hospital. So we report the patient with the review of literatures regarding neuropsychiatric disorder induced by traumatic brain injury.

• The Journal of the Society of Stroke on Korean Medicine
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.39-49
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• 2014

This report is about a case of an ataxia patient with sensory loss diagnosed with thalamic Infarction. The patient had symtoms of gait disturbances and dysmetria. We used Korean medicine treatment modalities including acupunture, electroacupuncture, moxibustion and herb medicines. The improvement of ataxia was evaluated by International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale and Balance master^Ⓡ system. After treatment, decreased scores of International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale and change of the trace of Balance master^Ⓡ system showed that symtoms of ataxia were improved. Sensory deficits and other conditions were also getting better. This report suggests that Korean medicine could have a therapeutic effect for Thalamic ataxia.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.30 no.sup2
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• pp.316-321
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• 2001

Objectives : The goal of this study is to evaluate the usefulness of mild hypothermia treatment in patients with increased intracranial pressure(ICP). Material and Method : From November 1999 to May 2001, 11 patients were treated with mild hypothermia ($32-34^{\circ}C$) in whom ICP maintained at higher than 20mmHg in spite of decompressive surgery and high dose barbiturate therapy. The patient's rectal temperature were lowered by external cooling. Hypothermia was maintained for not more than 7 days and then the patients were rewarmed slowly for 24 hours. If increased ICP persisted for 2 days of hypothermia, this treatment was continued for several days. The functional outcome of each patient was assessed according to Glasgow Outcome Scale(GOS). Results : All cases except two cases showed decrease of ICP after hypothermia therapy. In 1 case which was right middle cerebral artery(MCA) infarct, ICP re-increased after 24 hours and in another 1 case, ICP was not controlled initially. Among 11 cases, 3 cases showed favorable outcome. Conclusion : Mild hypothermia treatment in patients with increased ICP was effective in controlling ICP and mortality was so decreased. More clinical experience and controlled study was need to determine the effectiveness.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.13 no.11
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• pp.5229-5237
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• 2012

Occupational therapist is required for patient-centered approaches to actively seek the perspectives of patients and their families in clinical settings. The purpose of this study was to investigate the current trends and to suggest future-oriented view of examination and assessment used by neurological occupational therapist in clinical settings. Sixty-six occupational therapists who work in persons with neurological disorders participated in this study. The survey was measured from Seoul and GyeongGi by means of E-mail about commonly used assessment tools and selecting considerations. The participants were 66 neurological occupational therapists. The number of patients by one day was from 10 to 14 persons, and the length of time for initial evaluation was 20-40 minutes per one patient, and reexamination periods was every 1 month or as functional changes were detected. The using tool was not limited only neurological tools, and choice consideration was the reliability and validity of clinical measures. The most frequently used tools for adults were: JHFT for motor function in upper extremity, MMSE-K for cognitive perceptual assessment, MBI for daily activity assessment, and COPM for occupational performance. The most frequently used tools for child were: MVPT for cognitive perceptual assessment and Wee-FIM for daily activity assessment. The results of this study suggest that it is necessary to integrate and associate patient-report, care-giver report, and results of performance-based assessment for estimating plan of care more quality.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.108-113
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• 2014

Objective : Ankylosing spondylitis is an inflammatory rheumatic disease mainly affecting the axial skeleton. The rigid spine may secondarily develop osteoporosis, further increasing the risk of spinal fracture. In this study, we reviewed fractures in patients with ankylosing spondylitis that had been clinically diagnosed to better define the mechanism of injury, associated neurological deficit, predisposing factors, and management strategies. Methods : Between January 2003 and December 2013, 12 patients with 13 fractures with neurological complications were treated. Neuroimaging evaluation was obtained in all patients by using plain radiography, CT scan, and MR imaging. The ASIA Impairment Scale was used in order to evaluate the neurologic status of the patients. Management was based on the presence or absence of spinal instability. Results : A total of 9 cervical and 4 thoracolumbar fractures were identified in a review of patients in whom ankylosing spondylitis had been diagnosed. Of these, 7 fractures were associated with a hyperextension mechanism. 10 cases resulted in a fracture by minor trauma. Posttraumatic neurological deficits were demonstrated in 11 cases and neurological improvement after surgery was observed in 5 of these cases. Conclusions : Patients with ankylosing spondylitis are highly susceptible to spinal fracture and spinal cord injury even after only mild trauma. Initial CT or MR imaging of the whole spine is recommended even if the patient's symptoms are mild. The patient should also have early surgical stabilization to correct spinal deformity and avoid worsening of the patient's neurological status.