• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.30 no.sup1
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• pp.79-84
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• 2001

To investigate contributory factors of CSF shunt failure, 237 patients, who underwent shunt placement from January 1995 to December 1998 at our hospital, were reviewed retrospectively. The causes of the hydrocephalus were tumor, hemorrhage, infection, congenital anomaly, normal pressure hydrocephalus, trauma and others. One hundred nine revisions of CSF shunting were done during follow up periods. The causes of shunt revisions were mechanical obstruction, malposition, infection and others. The contributory factors of CSF shunt failure and shunt survival rate were analyzed using SPSS. The shunt survival rate at 1, 2 and 3 years after procedure was 77.1%, 75.4%, 74.1% respectively. In the young age group below 10 years old, postinfectous hydrocephalus was the most common high risk factor for shunt revision. In conclusion, the most shunt failures developed in the first year after surgery and the age and causes of the hydrocephalus were major determinant factors of shunt revision.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.296-298
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• 2011

Spinal intradural cysticercosis is a rare manifestation of neurocysticercosis. We report a unique patient who showed visual symptoms and normal imaging of the brain caused by isolated spinal neurocysticercosis. A 59-year-old male patient was admitted to the emergency unit with a history of severe headache and progressive blurred vision. Brain computed tomographic scanning and magnetic resonance imaging showed normal cerebral anatomy without hydrocephalus. The fundoscopic evaluation by an ophthalmologist showed bilateral papilledema. Perimetry studies revealed visual field defects in both eyes. With the diagnosis of pseudotumor cerebri, a lumbar tap was attempted; however, we could not drain the cerebrospinal fluid in spite of appropriate attempts. Lumbar magnetic resonance imaging revealed multilevel intraspinal lesions that were confirmed histologically to be neurocysticercosis. An intraoperative lumbar puncture revealed an increased opening pressure and cytochemical analysis showed elevated cerebrospinal fluid protein level. The headache resolved immediately after surgery. However, the visual symptoms remained and recovered only marginally despite antihelminthic medications after six months of operation.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.84-89
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• 2016

In this study, we proposed ameliorated method for region of interest (ROI) study to improve its accuracy using partial volume effect (PVE). PVE which arose in volumetric images when more than one tissue type occur in a voxel, could be used to reduce an amount of gray matter and cerebrospinal fluid within ROI of diffusion tensor image (DTI). In order to define ROIs, individual b0 image was spatially aligned to the JHU DTI-based atlas using linear and non-linear registration (http://cmrm.med.jhmi.edu/). Fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) maps were estimated by fitting diffusion tensor model to each image voxel, and their mean values were computed within each ROI with PVE threshold. Participants of this study consisted of 20 healthy controls, 27 Alzheimer's disease and 27 normal-pressure hydrocephalus patients. The result showed that the mean FA and MD of each ROI were increased and decreased respectively, but standard deviation was significantly decreased when PVE was applied. In conclusion, the proposed method suggested that PVE was indispensable to improve an accuracy of DTI ROI study.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 1996

1. Out of 21 examples on a clinical base Alzheimer type dementia were 8 examples(38%), 11 vascular types(52%), 1 Alzheimer and vascular mixed type and rest 1 was secondary dementia type(NPH).2. Between the genders, there were 5 males and 3 females for Alzheimer types, 6 males and 5 females for the vascular types, 1 male for Alzheimer and vascular mixed type, and 1 female for secondary dementia type(NPH).3. For the degrees of Alzheimer type dementia there were 2 mild dementia, 4 moderate dementia, and 2 severe dementia. 4. Among the Alzheimer types 2 mild dementia were almost recovered back to normal in approximately 2 months, 2of 4 moderate dementia became significantly better in approximately 2 months and recovered to almost normal state in 3 to 5 months. The rest 2 have been under treatment for 3 months, but showed a little improvement. Out of 2 severe dementia examples, one showed a little improvement even if it has been under treatment over 2 years. The other example did not show any improvement, but dementia did not proceed any more.5. Among the 11 vascular examples, 7 recovered in 2 to 3 months, 1 in 5 months, 2 recovered in a year, and the treatment was stopped arbitrary for the last one.6 In the case of Alzheimer and vascular mixed type dementia, even the moderate dementia did not show any apparent result in 6 months.7. For NPHI (Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus), there was an improvement on dementia in 2 months after the treatment, but gait disturbance and urinary incontinence did not show any noticeable difference. As a conclusion, almost all the Alzheimer and vascular type patients recovered, but the treatment periods varied depending on the types of the dementia and the degree of seriousness, especially in the case of the severe Alzheimer patients, the treatment oniy suppression the progression of the dementia. The most important aspect from clinical point of view was even if almost all the patients were almost completely cired, they need to keep being cured for a long period of time. The method with respect to Four Constitutions is thought of the most desirable.