• Brain & NeuroRehabilitation
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.1-6
• /
• 2017

The brain necrosis induced by radiation therapy (RT) is an uncommon pathology of brain. A case of spontaneous hemorrhage at necrotic brain is also rare. A 52-year-old man who had nasopharyngeal carcinoma and had been treated with RT, presented with gait disturbance, dizziness, ataxia, dysarthria, and dysphagia. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated progressed radiation necrosis of pons, and spontaneous hemorrhage at the site of necrosis. The hematoma was diminished by conservative treatment. However, the patient's neurologic symptoms did not recover. Two years later, spontaneous bleeding recurred at necrotic brain. His neurologic symptoms worsened. One year later, his neurologic symptoms were more progressed. He showed severe dysphagia, profound weakness and respiratory failure. This case provides the description of relapsed spontaneous hemorrhage and medullary dysfunction caused by pontine necrosis and progressed post-radiation injury, complicated with hemorrhage, and urges caution in that the necrotic brain tissue may be vulnerable to bleeding.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
• /
• v.38 no.6
• /
• pp.803-807
• /
• 2011

Purpose: The safety of radiation therapy after breast reconstruction using transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous (TRAM) flap is still being debated, and few studies exist on the outcome of irradiation after immediate TRAM breast reconstruction. Some authors presented satisfactory outcomes after adjuvant radiation therapy on reconstructed breast with pedicled TRAM flap, while others reported significant post radiation changes of the flap. Effect of radiation therapy on TRAM flap was evaluated to see whether adjuvant radiation therapy was tolerable. Methods: 1000 immediate TRAM breast reconstruction was done by a single surgeon from July, 2001 to December, 2009. Among them 105 patients required adjuvant radiation therapy because of advanced disease or locoregional recurrence. Fat necrosis, radiation fibrosis, mastectomy skin flap necrosis, need for secondary touch up procedures, patient satisfaction were evaluated. Results: The incidence of fat necrosis was 10.5% and significant radiation fibrosis occurred in only one patient. Delayed wound problem did not occur during or after irradiation. Secondary touch-up procedures were performed in 12.3%, the most common being fat graft (8.6%). Average patient satisfaction score was 8.62/10, which was not significantly different from the authors' previous report involving all the TRAM patients (8.50). Conclusion: Radiation therapy did not increase the complication rate significantly. Aesthetic result was affected but was tolerated in most cases. The fear of adjuvant radiation is not a negative factor in selecting immediate breast reconstruction with TRAM flap.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
• /
• v.26 no.2
• /
• pp.126-130
• /
• 2008

Avascular necrosis(AVN) is a disease characterized by the temporary or permanent loss of the blood supply to the bones, resulting from many possible causes, including radiation therapy. The femoral head is known to be the most common site of AVN. The authors encountered two cases of AVN of the femoral head among 557 patients with cervical cancer treated with whole pelvic radiation therapy at the Samsung Medical Center. AVN of the femoral head was presented with a sclerotic density change in a plain roentgenography and a decreased signal intensity lesion on the T1 and T2 weighted phases of a magnetic resonance image(MRI). Although it is a very rare complication after whole pelvic radiation therapy, AVN of the femoral head should be considered when characteristic imaging findings appear on follow-up examinations.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
• /
• v.12 no.3
• /
• pp.285-293
• /
• 1994

Purpose : The study was designed to investigate the effect of cis-dichlorodiammineplatinum(II)(cis-DDP) on the radiation-induced cardiomyopathy in the rat. Materials and Methods : The myocardial damage was assessed by histopathologic changes. In radiation alone group, radiation dose ranged from 10-40 Gy X-ray in a single dose and in combined group, cis-dichlorodiammineplatinum(II) at a dose of 6 mg/kg was given intraperitoneally immediately after irradiation of same dose with X-ray alone group. Results : The early changes by radiation included congestion, inflammatory cell infiltrations and fibrosis in myocardial interstitium with focal myocardial necrosis, which was noted in 10 Gy group, Myocardial fibrosis was increased by increasing dose of radiation but myocardial necrosis was not Proportional to radiation dose. cis-DDP alone group showed minimal degeneration of myocardium with surrounded by inflammatory cell infiltrations. In combined group, myocardial fibrosis in 10 Gy group were similar to radiation alone group, but 30 Gy and 40 Gy groups showed severer changes. Electron microscopic examination showed disruption of Z-band and edema of mitochondria with decreased matrix density in 20 Gy radiation group which were severer in 40 Gy radiation group. Combined group showed endothelial changes and disruption of Z-band worse than radiation alone group as well as increased connective tissue, which was considered as a hallmark of late change in radiation-induced heart disease. Conclusion : This results showed minimal enhancement of the radiation-induced cardiomyopathy in rats by cis-DDP.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• v.52 no.2
• /
• pp.98-102
• /
• 2012

Objective : To study the clinical significance and relevant factors of radiation-induced intratumoral necrosis (RIN) and peritumoral edema (PTE) after Gamma knife radiosurgery (GKRS) for intracranial meningiomas. Methods : We retrospectively analyzed the data of 64 patients who underwent GKRS for intracranial meningioma. The mean lesion volume was 4.9 cc (range, 0.3-20), and the mean prescription dose of 13.4 Gy (range, 11-18) was delivered to the mean 49.9% (range, 45-50) isodose line. RIN was defined as newly developed or enlarged intratumoral necrosis after GKRS. Results : RIN and new development or aggravation of PTE were observed in 21 (32.8%) and 18 (28.1%) cases of meningioma, respectively during the median follow-up duration of $19.9{\pm}1.0$ months. Among various factors, maximum dose (>25 Gy) and target volume (>4.5 cc) were significantly related to RIN, and RIN and maximum dose (>24 Gy) were significantly related to the development or aggravation of PTE. In 21 meningiomas with development of RIN after GKRS, there was no significant change of the tumor volume itself between the times of GKRS and RIN. However, the PTE volume increased significantly compared to that at the time of GKRS (p=0.013). The median interval to RIN after GKRS was $6.5{\pm}0.4$ months and the median interval to new or aggravated PTE was $7.0{\pm}0.7$ months. Conclusion : A close observation is required for meningiomas treated with a maximum dose >24 Gy and showing RIN after GKRS, since following or accompanying PTE may deteriorate neurological conditions especially when the location involves adjacent critical structures.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
• /
• v.29 no.3
• /
• pp.147-155
• /
• 2011

Purpose: This study was designed to determine the influencing factors and clinical course of pathologically proven cases of radiation-induced brain injury (RIBI). Materials and Methods: The pathologic records of twelve patients were reviewed; these patients underwent surgery following radiotherapy due to disease progression found by follow-up imaging. However, they were finally diagnosed with RIBI. All patients had been treated with 3-dimensional conventional fractionated radiotherapy and/or radiosurgery for primary or metastatic brain tumors with or without chemotherapy. The histological distribution was as follows: two falx meningioma, six glioblastoma multiform (GBM), two anaplastic oligodendroglioma, one low grade oligodendroglioma, and one small cell lung cancer with brain metastasis. Results: Radiation necrosis was noted in eight patients and the remaining four were diagnosed with radiation change. Gender (p = 0.061) and biologically equivalent dose $(BED)_3$ (p = 0.084) were the only marginally influencing factors of radiation necrosis. Median time to RIBI was 7.3 months (range, 0.5 to 61 months). Three prolonged survivors with GBM were observed. In the subgroup analysis of high grade gliomas, RIBI that developed <6 months after radiotherapy was associated with inferior overall survival rates compared to cases of RIBI that occurred ${\geq}6$ months (p = 0.085). Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that RIBI could occur in early periods after conventional fractionated brain radiotherapy within normal tolerable dose ranges. Studies with a larger number of patients are required to identify the strong influencing factors for RIBI development.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
• /
• v.30 no.4
• /
• pp.476-483
• /
• 1996

Following radiation therapy for brain tumors, patients often have clinical deterioration due to either radiation necrosis or recurrent tumor progression in the treatment field. The distinction between these entities is important but difficult clinically or even with CT or MRI. T1-201 has been known to accumulate in various tumors and be useful to grade, predict prognosis or detect recurrence of glioma. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of T1-201 SPECT in the differentiation of recurrent tumor from radiation necrosis. Of 67 patients who did T1-201 brain SPECT imaging with clinically suspected recurrent tumor or radiation necrosis, 20 patients underwent histopathological examination and constituted the study population. T1-201 uptake indices on T1-201 brain SPECT imaging rrere calculated and correlated with histopathological diagnosis. Of 20 patients, 15 were histopathologically confirmed as recurrent original tumor or malignant transformation of benign tumor and 5 were diagnosed as radiation necrosis. On T1-201 SPECT, 18 of 20 had T1-201 index above 2.5 which was regarded as positive indicator for the presence of tumor. Seventeen cases showed concordance, which consisted of 15 true positive and 2 true negative. Discordant 3 cases were all false positive. There was no case of false negative. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value of T1-201 SPECT were 100%, 40%, 83% and 100%. In conclusion, T1-201 brain SPECT is a sensitive diagnostic test in the detection of recurrent tumor following radiation therapy and is useful in the differentiation of recurrent tumor from radiation necrosis. Relatively low specificity should be evaluated further in larger number of patients in consideration of sampling error and referral bias for pathologic examination.

• Korean Journal of Bronchoesophagology
• /
• v.8 no.1
• /
• pp.75-80
• /
• 2002

Radiation therapy is an effective treatment modality for malignant disease of the head and neck, but it is not without risk and complication. Response of the larynx to radiotherapy varies from mild erythema to severe inflammation with edema and induration. possibly leading to necrosis of cartilage. These changes are due to an inflammatory reaction characterized by infiltration of polymorphonuclear leukocytes, vascular thrombosis, and obliteration of lymphatic channels. Late changes consist of telangiectasia of the skin, alopecia, loss of subcutaneous fat, degenerative changes in the connective tissues. But, radiation necrosis of laryngeal cartilage is an uncommon complication and it is a devastating process for which further necessitates surgical treatment. It is generally agreed that the only treatment for patient not responding to conservative measures is a total laryngectomy. We experienced 4 cases of delayed radionecrosis of the larynx who underwent radiation therapy for glottic cancer and hypopharyngeal cancer. We report these cases with review of literature.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
• /
• v.2 no.2
• /
• pp.287-297
• /
• 1984

The normal intracranial structures are relatively resistant to therapeutic radiation, but may react adversely in a variety of ways, and the damage to nerve tissue may be slow in making its appearance, and once damage has occured the patient recovers slowly and incompletly. Therefore, it is important to consider the possibility of either recurrent tumor or late adverse effect in any patient who has had radiotherapy. The determination o( rnorphological/pathological correlation is very important to the therapeutic radiologist who uses CT scans to define a treatment volume, as well as to the clinician who wishes to explain the patient's clinical state in terms of regress, progression, persistence, or recurrence of tumor or radiation-induced edema or necrosis, The authors are obtained as following results ; 1. The field size(whole CNS, large, intermediate, small field) was variable according to the location and extension of tumor and histopathologic diagnosis, and the tatal tumor dose was 4,000 to 6,000 rads except one of recurred case of 9,100 rads. The duration of follow up CT scan was from 3 months to 5 year 10 months. 2, The histopathologic diagnosis of 9cases were glioblastoma multiforme(3 cases), pineal tumor (3), oligodendroglioma (1), cystic astrocytoma (1), pituitary adenoma (1) and their adverse effects after radiation therapy were brain atrophy (4 cases) , radiation necrosis(2), tumor recurrence with or without calcification (2), radiation·induced infarction (1). 3. The recurrent symptoms after radiation therapy of brain tumor were not always the results of regrowth of neoplasm, but may represent late change of irradiated brain. 4. It must be need that we always consider the accurate treatment planning and proper treatment method to reduce undesirable late adverse effects in treatment of brain tumors.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
• /
• v.7 no.1
• /
• pp.32-38
• /
• 1996

The preservation of the voice-producing mechanism is an important feature in the management of laryngeal cancer by radiotherapy. But, radiation therapy has certain side effects such as mucositis, tissue edema, necrosis and fibrosis which could effect on normal voice production. Several subjective studies that used questionnaires and auditory perceptual judgements of voice have been interpreted to mean that radiation results in a normal or near-normal voice. Objective evidence of the status of vocal function after radiation treatment, however, is still lacking. We analyzed the changes that occur in voice parameters in a group of patients undergoing radiation therapy, in order to determine the effect of radiation on voice quality. In this study acoustic, aerodynamic measures of vocal function were used to determine the characteristics of voice production. We found that voice parameters in early glottic cancer changed meaningfully comparing to normal larynx with or without radiation and radiation therapy has an little effect on normal larynx.