• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.221-225
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• 2009

Objective : Surgical treatment of posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) aneurysms is challenging due to limited surgical accessibility. Endovascular approach has a benefit of avoiding direct injury to the brainstem or lower cranial nerves. Therefore, it has recently been considered an alternative or primary modality for PICA aneurysms. We retrospectively assessed outcomes following detachable coil embolization of saccular PICA aneurysms. Methods : From February 1997 to December 2007, we performed endovascular procedures to treat 15 patients with 15 PICA aneurysms. Fourteen patients with 14 PICA aneurysms morphology of which was saccular were reviewed retrospectively. Twelve patients had ruptured aneurysms. The aneurysms arose from the PICA origin site (n=12), the PICA lateral medullary segment (n=1), or the PICA tonsilomedullary segment (n=1). Results : Complete aneurysm occlusion was achieved in 10 patients, residual neck in 3, and residual sac in one. Radiological follow-up was performed in 7 patients with mean duration of 34.7 months (range, 1-97 months) and showed stable or complete occlusion in 6 patients. There were no rebleeding or retreatment after endovascular treatment. Thromboembolism was the only procedure-related complication (n=4 ; 28.6%). Asymptomatic PICA infarction occurred in two patients and symptomatic PICA infarction in two elderly patients with poor clinical grade. Of these procedural PICA infarction cases, 1 symptomatic PICA infarction patient developed ventriculitis and septic shock leading to death. The clinical outcome was good in 10 patients (71.4%). Conclusions : In the present study, detachable coil embolization has shown as an efficient modality for PICA saccular aneurysms challenging indications of microsurgery. However, thromboembolic complications should be considered, especially in poor clinical elderly patients with ruptured aneurysms.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.307-309
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• 2005

We report a rare case of tension pneumocephalus after eyebrow surgery for the treatment of a saccular aneurysm at posterior communicating artery. The patient's consciousness was suddenly aggravated due to the tension pneumocephalus on fifth postoperative day, which was treated by repairing the frontal sinus. The patient was recovered completely and uneventfully after this revision surgery.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.106-112
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• 1991

A 37-year old man was admitted due to the left subauricular mass of 6 month duration which was 3 x 4cm sized, pulsatile and slowly growing He was suffered from the intermittent left facial and auricular pain radiating to the occipital area. The carotid angiography revealed 3x4cm sized saccular aneurysm of the left internal carotid artery just above the carotid bifurcation, extending to the mandibular angle level. He was planned to be operated under the direct clamp of internal carotid artery or shunting procedure. But, the back pressure of the internal carotid was 35mmHg, which suggested adequate cerebral collateral. Thereby, aneurysmectomy and restoration of cerebral blood flow with saphenous vein graft was done under the direct clamp of internal carotid artery for 25 minutes. Although mild transient neurologic sequelae such as mydriasis, tongue deviation for 10 days, he recovered completely without any complication. The aneurysmal sac had no thrombus and pathologic finding was compatible with congenital origin.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.649-652
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• 2009

A 75-year-old man presented with worsening dyspnea and intermittent dysphagia of one month's duration. A plain chest X-ray showed severe tracheal indentation by the right superior mediastinal mass. A chest CT established the diagnosis of a saccular aneurysm arising from the right proximal subclavian artery. Resection of the aneurysm and arterial revascularization was done through a median sternotomy with supraclavicular extension. Aneurysm wall and thrombus culture results were negative and pathology showed an atherosclerotic aneurysm. After the operation, dyspnea and dysphagia were reduced, but he died of advanced stomach cancer 8 months later.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.65 no.5
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• pp.710-718
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• 2022

Objective : Although endovascular treatment for intracranial aneurysms is considered effective and safe, its durability is still debated. Also, few studies have described angiographic follow-up plan after endovascular treatment of intracranial aneurysm, especially in ruptured cases. Hence, we report the long-term results of follow-up angiography protocol. Methods : Radiological records of 639 cases of coil embolization with ruptured aneurysms from March 2003 to December 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients who received treatment of a saccular aneurysm less than 7 mm resulted with near complete occlusion were included. Two hundred thirty-eight aneuryms which received the follow-up angiography at least once were enrolled. We classified four periods of follow-up as follows : post-treatment 1 year (defined as the first period), from 1 to 2 years (the second period), 2 to 5 years (the third period), and over 5 years (long-term). Results : We identified 14 cases (6.4%) of recurrence from 218 aneurysms in follow-up angiography in the first period. Among 143 aneurysms in the second period, five cases (3.5%) of recurrence were identified. There were no findings suspicious of recanalization in 97 patients in the third period. Of the total 238 cases, there were 19 recurrences, for a recurrence rate of 8.0%. Six (31.6%) out of 19 recurrences showed a tendency toward repeat recurrences even after additional treatment. Twenty-eight received long-term follow-up over 5 years and there was no recurrence. Conclusion : Most of the recurrence were found during the first and the second year. We suggest that at least one digital subtraction angiography examination may be necessary around post-treatment 2 years, especially in ruptured cases. If the angiographic results are favorable at 2 years post-treatment, long-term result should be favorable.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.635-638
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• 2009

A 72-year-old man with progressive, unexplained lower gastrointestinal bleeding presented to the emergency department with abdominal pain and shock. Computed tomography of the abdomen showed a fistula between a right common iliac artery aneurysm and the small intestine. Laparotomy demonstrated a saccular aneurysm of the common iliac artery with a fistulous communication to the terminal ileum. Aneurysmectomy, aortoiliac graft replacement and segmental ileocecal resection with end-to-side anastomosis were all successfully performed. For a patient having an arterioenteric fistula along with lower gastrointestinal bleeding, making an early diagnosis using computed tomography and then performing immediate surgery can be expected to save the patient's life.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.60 no.2
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• pp.262-268
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• 2017

Objective : Stents are widely used in coil embolization of intracranial aneurysms, but on occasion, a microcatheter must traverse a stented segment of artery (so-called trans-cell technique) to select an aneurysm, or double stenting may necessary. In such situations, microguidewire passage and microcatheter delivery through a tortuous stented parent artery may pose a technical challenge. Described herein is a microguidewire looping technique to facilitate endovascular navigation in these circumstances. Methods : To apply this technique, the microguidewire tip is looped before entering the stented parent artery and then advanced distally past the stented segment, with the loop intact. Rounding of the tip prevents interference from stent struts during passage. A microcatheter is subsequently passed into the stented artery for positioning near the neck of aneurysm, with microguidewire assistance. The aneurysm is then selected, steering the microcatheter tip (via inner microguidewire) into the dome. Results : This technique proved successful during coil embolization of nine saccular intracranial aneurysms (internal carotid artery [ICA], 6; middle cerebral artery, 2; basilar tip, 1), performing eight trans-cell deliveries and one additional stenting. Selective endovascular embolization was enabled in all patients, resulting in excellent clinical and radiologic outcomes, with no morbidity or mortality directly attributable to microguidewire looping. Conclusion : Microguidewire looping is a reasonable alternative if passage through a stented artery is not feasible by traditional means, especially at paraclinoid ICA sites.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.63 no.2
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• pp.137-152
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• 2020

In spite of the developing endovascular era, large (15-25 mm) and giant (>25 mm) wide-neck cerebral aneurysms remained technically challenging. Intracranial flow-diverting stents (FDS) were developed to address these challenges by targeting aneurysm hemodynamics to promote aneurysm occlusion. In 2011, the first FDS approved for use in the United States market. Shortly thereafter, the Pipeline of Uncoilable or Failed Aneurysms (PUFS) study was published demonstrating high efficacy and a similar complication profile to other intracranial stents. The initial FDA instructions for use (IFU) limited its use to patients 22 years old or older with wide-necked large or giant aneurysms of the internal carotid artery (ICA) from the petrous segment to superior hypophyseal artery/ophthalmic segment. Expanded IFU was tested in the Prospective Study on Embolization of Intracranial Aneurysms with PipelineTM Embolization Device (PREMIER) trial. With further post-approval clinical data, the United States FDA expanded the IFU to include patients with small or medium, wide-necked saccular or fusiform aneurysms from the petrous ICA to the ICA terminus. However, IFU is more restrictive in South Korea than in United States. Several systematic reviews and meta-analyses have sought to evaluate the overall efficacy of FDS for the treatment of cerebral aneurysms and consistently identify FDS as an effective technique for the treatment of aneurysms broadly with complication rates similar to other traditional techniques. A growing body of literature has demonstrated high efficacy of FDS for small aneurysms; distal artery aneurysms; non-saccular aneurysms posterior circulation aneurysms and complication rates similar to traditional techniques. In the short interval since the Pipeline Embolization Device was first introduced, FDS has been firmly entrenched as a powerful tool in the endovascular armamentarium. As new FDS are developed, established FDS are refined, and delivery systems are improved the uses for FDS will only expand further. Researchers continue to work to optimize the mechanical characteristics of the FDS themselves, aiming to optimize deploy ability and efficacy. With expanded use for small to medium aneurysms and posterior circulation aneurysms, FDS technology is firmly entrenched as a powerful tool to treat challenging aneurysms, both primarily and as an adjunct to coil embolization. With the aforementioned advances, the ease of FDS deployment will improve and complication rates will be further minimized. This will only further establish FDS deployment as a key strategy in the treatment of cerebral aneurysms.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.197-206
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• 2021

Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a disease that causes bleeding in the subarachnoid space; 70%-80% of nontraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhages are caused by saccular aneurysms. If the patient has already experienced a ruptured aneurysm that causes subarachnoid bleeding, rebleeding can result in a high mortality rate and serious sequelae. Therefore, if the patient can undergo surgical or interventional treatment, it should always be performed. This patient was diagnosed with acute aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage and hydrocephalus. The patient was hospitalized for uncontrolled headache and vertigo after aneurysm coil embolization and ventriculoperitoneal shunting. The patient was treated with Yangkyuksanwha-tang and acupuncture and was observed with a symptom checklist for 25 days. Headache improved, from a visual analog scale (VAS) score of 7 to 0. Vertigo also improved, from a numeric rating scale (NRS) of 6 to 2, and the vertigo pattern changed from rotational to nonrotational. This case suggests that Korean medicine treatment is helpful in managing subarachnoid hemorrhage sequelae.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.513-516
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• 2021

An 87-year-old man presented with a saccular aneurysm at the proximal descending thoracic aorta. As computed tomography revealed a shaggy aorta, we planned hybrid thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) with embolic protection devices (EPDs) in both internal carotid arteries to prevent a cerebrovascular accident. We inserted an Emboshield NAV⁶ Embolic Protection System (Abbott Vascular, Abbott Park, IL, USA) into both internal carotid arteries before performing the TEVAR procedure. The patient was discharged from the hospital on postoperative day 4 without any neurological complications.