• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제48권3호
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• pp.251-258
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• 2010

Objective : Despite rapid evolution of shunt devices, the complication rates remain high. The most common causes are turning from obstruction, infection, and overdrainage into mainly underdrainage. We investigated the incidence of complications in a consecutive series of hydrocephalic patients. Methods : From January 2002 to December 2009, 111 patients underwent ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunting at our hospital. We documented shunt failures and complications according to valve type, primary disease, and number of revisions. Results : Overall shunt survival time was 268 weeks. Mean survival time of gravity-assisted valve (GAV) was 222 weeks versus 286 weeks for other shunts. Survival time of programmable valves (264 weeks) was longer than that of pressure-controlled valves (186 weeks). The most common cause for shunt revision was underdrainage (13 valves). The revision rate due to underdrainage in patients with GAV (7 of 10 patients) was higher than that for other valve types. Of 7 patients requiring revision for GAV underdrainage, 6 patients were bedridden. The overall infection rate was 3.6%, which was lower than reported series. Seven patients demonstrating overdrainage had cranial defects when operations were performed (41%), and overdrainage was improved in 5 patients after cranioplasty. Conclusion : Although none of the differences was statistically significant, some of the observations were especially notable. If a candidate for VP shunting is bedridden, GAV may not be indicated because it could lead to underdrainage. Careful procedure and perioperative management can reduce infection rate. Cranioplasty performed prior to VP shunting may be beneficial.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제39권6호
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• pp.438-442
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• 2006

The sylvian aqueduct syndrome is a global rostral midbrain dysfunction induced by a transtentorial pressure gradient through the aquaeductus. Several months after ventriculoperitoneal shunt, a patient with hydrocephalus began experiencing a constellation of midbrain dysfunction symptoms, including bradykinesia, medial longitudinal fasciculus syndrome, third nerve palsy, and mutism. These were indicative of cerebral aqueduct syndrome. In addition, the patient showed posture-dependent underdrainage or overdrainage. All symptoms were resolved after distal catheter elongation and floating cranioplasty. We present a case of reversible parkinsonism, which developed in a patient with shunted hydrocephalus and aqueductal stenosis, and discuss the diagnosis and treatment of the sylvian aqueduct syndrome. We also review the literature to address problems of drainage and potential treatment modalities.

• 대한신경집중치료학회지
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• 제11권2호
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• pp.119-123
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• 2018

Background: Since the first report of a rapidly resolved subdural hemorrhage (SDH) in 1986, few additional case reports have been presented in the literature. Case Report: An 82-year-old female patient presented with a SDH over the left convexity. The SDH was removed via catheter drainage through a burr hole trephination. Post-operative computed tomography (CT) following 300 mL drainage from the chronic SDH demonstrated a newly developed SDH along the right convexity. A follow-up CT performed 2 hours later revealed an unexpected significant resolution of the acute SDH. Conclusion: The spontaneous resolution of acute SDH is believed to result from redistribution by washout of the hematoma by cerebrospinal fluid dilution. However, its exact pathophysiology is not well understood. When surgical evacuation is considered in acute SDH, conservative management should also be considered because spontaneous resolution of hemorrhage remains a possibility.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제57권5호
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• pp.379-385
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• 2015

Chronic subdural hematomas mainly occur amongst elderly people and usually develop after minor head injuries. In younger patients, subdural collections may be related to hypertension, coagulopathies, vascular abnormalities, and substance abuse. Different techniques can be used for the surgical treatment of symptomatic chronic subdural hematomas : single or double burr-hole evacuation, with or without subdural drainage, twist-drill craniostomies and classical craniotomies. Failure of the brain to re-expand, pneumocephalus, incomplete evacuation, and recurrence of the fluid collection are common complications following these procedures. Acute subdural hematomas may also occur. Rarely reported hemorrhagic complications include subarachnoid, intracerebral, intraventricular, and remote cerebellar hemorrhages. The causes of such uncommon complications are difficult to explain and remain poorly understood. Overdrainage and intracranial hypotension, rapid brain decompression and shift of the intracranial contents, cerebrospinal fluid loss, vascular dysregulation and impairment of venous outflow are the main mechanisms discussed in the literature. In this article we report three cases of different post-operative intracranial bleeding and review the related literature.

• Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology
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• 제15권7호
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• pp.1061-1071
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• 2001

The present study investigated design parameters of shunt valves and anti-siphon device used to treat patients with hydrocephalus. The shunt valve controls drainage of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) through passive deflection of a thin and small diaphragm. The anti-siphon device(ASD) is optionally connected to the valve to prevent overdrainage when the patients are in the standing position. The major design parameters influencing pressure-flow characteristics of the shunt valve were analyzed using ANSYS structural program. Experiments were performed on the commercially available valves and showed good agreements with the computer simulation. The results of the study indicated that predeflection of the shunt valve diaphragm is an important design parameter to determine the opening pressure of the valve. The predeflection was found to depend on the diaphragm tip height and could be adjusted by the diaphragm thickness and its elastic modulus. The major design parameters of the ASD were found to be the clearance (gap height) between the thin diaphragm and the flow orifice. Besides the gap height, the opening pressure of the ASD could be adjusted by the diaphragm thickness, its elastic modulus, area ratio of the diaphragm to the flow orifice. Based on the numerical simulation which considered the increased subcutaneous pressure introduced by the tissue capsule pressure on the implanted shunt valve system, optimum design parameters were proposed for the ASD.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제30권sup2호
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• pp.309-315
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• 2001

틈새뇌실증후군은 수두증으로 션트술을 시행받은 환아에서 CT나 MRI소견상 틈새처럼 좁은 뇌실을 가지고 있으면서 간헐적으로 두통, 구토 또는 의식장애등이 동반되는 질환이다. 1986년부터 1996년까지 총 821명의 환자가 수두증으로 션트술을 시행받았다. 이 환자들의 수두증의 원인은 뇌종양(140명), 출혈(62명), 정상압수두증(64명), 뇌수막염(58명), 외상(54명), 선천성(48명), 뇌낭미충증(31명), 그리고 이유를 알 수 없었던 경우가 364명으로 나타났다. 평균 추적 관찰 기간은 68개월이었으며 총 232명에서 재수술을 시행하였으며 1인당 1.28회의 재수술율을 보였다. 이들중 틈새뇌실 증후군은 6예로 0.7%였다. 틈새뇌실증후군 대부분의 환자는 영아기에 수술을 시행받았다. 처음 수술로부터 틈새뇌실증후군이 발생하기까지의 기간은 4~8년으로 평균 6년후 틈새뇌실증후군이 발생하였다. 동위원소 검사상 6예에서 션트의 기능은 모두 정상이었다. 증상이 경미한 2명의 환자에서는 보존적 치료를 시행하였는데 치료후 증상의 호전을 보였다. 이 환자들은 뇌압측정을 시행하지 않았다. 6명중 1명은 뇌압 측정시 높게 나타나 기존과 같은 압력밸브를 이용하여 재수술을 시행하였다. 3명의 환자는 낮은 뇌압을 보여 안티사이펀밸브나 기존보다 높은 압력의 밸브를 이용하여 재수술을 시행하였다. 틈새뇌실증후군의 치료는 첫째, 증후군의 양상을 정확하게 판단하여, 둘째, 증상을 완화시킬 수 있는 방향으로 치료방침을 설정해야 할 것으로 생각되었다.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제46권4호
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• pp.370-377
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• 2009

Objective : There is no definite adjustment protocol for patients shunted with programmable valves. Therefore, we attempted to find an appropriate method to adjust the valve, initial valve-opening pressure, adjustment scale, adjustment time interval, and final valve-opening pressure of a programmable valve. Methods : Seventy patients with hydrocephalus of various etiologies were shunted with programmable shunting devices (Micro Valve with $RICKHAM^{(R)}$ Reservoir). The most common initial diseases were subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and head trauma. Sixty-six patients had a communicating type of hydrocephalus, and 4 had an obstructive type of hydrocephalus. Fifty-one patients had normal pressure-type hydrocephalus and 19 patients had high pressure-type hydrocephalus. We set the initial valve pressure to $10-30\;mmH_2O$, which is lower than the preoperative lumbar tapping pressure or the intraoperative ventricular tapping pressure, conducted brain computerized tomographic (CT) scans every 2 to 3 weeks, correlated results with clinical symptoms, and reset valve-opening pressures. Results : Initial valve-opening pressures varied from 30 to $180\;mmH_2O$ (mean, $102{\pm}27.5\;mmH_2O$). In high pressure-type hydrocephalus patients, we have set the initial valve-opening pressure from 100 to $180\;mmH_2O$. We decreased the valve-opening pressure $20-30\;mmH_2O$ at every 2- or 3-week interval, until hydrocephalus-related symptoms improved and the size of the ventricle was normalized. There were 154 adjustments in 81 operations (mean, 1.9 times). In 19 high pressure-type patients, final valve-opening pressures were $30-160\;mmH_2O$, and 16 (84%) patients' symptoms had nearly improved completely. However, in 51 normal pressure-type patients, only 31 (61%) had improved. Surprisingly, in 22 of the 31 normal pressure-type improved patients, final valve-opening pressures were $30\;mmH_2O$ (16 patients) and $40\;mmH_2O$ (6 patients). Furthermore, when final valve-opening pressures were adjusted to $30\;mmH_2O$, 14 patients symptom was improved just at the point. There were 18 (22%) major complications : 7 subdural hygroma, 6 shunt obstructions, and 5 shunt infections. Conclusion : In normal pressure-type hydrocephalus, most patients improved when the final valve-opening pressure was $30\;mmH_2O$. We suggest that all normal pressure-type hydrocephalus patients be shunted with programmable valves, and their initial valve-opening pressures set to $10-30\;mmH_2O$ below their preoperative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressures. If final valve-opening pressures are lowered in 20 or $30\;mmH_2O$ scale at 2- or 3-week intervals, reaching a final pressure of $30\;mmH_2O$, we believe that there is a low risk of overdrainage syndromes.