• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.59 no.5
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• pp.471-477
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• 2016

Objectives : The correction of clinical and radiologic abnormalities in patients with symptomatic ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) is the current mainstay of treatment. This study aimed to identify radiographic predictors of severity of myelopathy in patients with symptomatic OPLL. Methods : Fifty patients with symptomatic cervical OPLL were enrolled. Based on Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) scores, patients were divided into either the mild myelopathy (n=31) or severe myelopathy (n=19) group. All subjects underwent preoperative plain cervical roentgenogram, computed tomography (CT), and MR imaging (MRI). Radiological parameters (C2-7 sagittal vertical axis, SVA; C2-7 Cobb angle; C2-7 range of motion, ROM; OPLL occupying ratio; and compression angle) were compared. Compression angle of OPLL was defined as the angle between the cranial and caudal surfaces of OPLL at the maximum level of cord compression Results : The occupying ratio of the spinal canal, C2-7 Cobb angle, C2-7 SVA, types of OPLL, and C2-7 ROM of the cervical spine were not statistically different between the two groups. However, the OPLL compression angle was significantly greater (p=0.003) in the severe myelopathy group than in the mild myelopathy group and was inversely correlated with JOA score (r=-0.533, p<0.01). Furthermore, multivariate regression analysis demonstrated that the compression angle (B=-0.069, p<0.001) was significantly associated with JOA scores (R=0.647, p<0.005). Conclusion : Higher compression angles of OPLL have deleterious effects on the spinal cord and decrease preoperative JOA scores.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.381-383
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• 2006

Spinal extradural arachnoid cyst is uncommon and rarely cause neural compression. We report a rare case of severe cord compression due to septated spinal extradural arachnoid cyst. A 35-year-old woman has developed back pain 3 months prior to her visit, but recently motor weakness and urinary incontinence occurred. Magnetic resonance images showed an extradural cyst posterior to the cord, which was flattened and displaced from T12 to L2. Urgent decompressive laminectomy and cyst removal was performed. Histopathological examination confirmed that cyst wall was formed by nonspecific fibrous connective tissue without a single-cell layer of inner arachnoid lining. Motor weakness and voiding difficulty were recovered completely after operation.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.269-271
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• 2007

Follicular thyroid carcinoma with metastasis rarely manifests as spinal cord compression without any previous symptoms of its malignancy. This report describes a 64-year-old man with follicular thyroid carcinoma who presented initially with left arm motor weakness. Magnetic resonance images demonstrated severe cervical cord compression by a mass with destruction of C4 vertebra. Corpectomy of C4 and anterior interbody fusion was carried out. Histopathological study revealed a metastatic follicular carcinoma of the thyroid. We present our case, especially focused of its possible pathophysiology, with review of pertinent literatures.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.139-144
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• 2019

Intervertebral disk disease is a common neurological disease in dogs. In veterinary neurology clinics, the incidence of intervertebral disk disease and the spinal cord compression rate of the disk are well documented. However, the direction of herniation of the intervertebral disk is relatively less known on Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Therefore, this study systematically investigated and analyzed the intervertebral disk disease in dogs. Especially, classification according to the direction of herniation of the disk, the degree of pre - treatment neurological manifestation, and the compression rate was investigated. In addition, the treatment methods of patients who received treatment after visiting the Chonbuk animal medical center (CAMC) were divided into pharmacological treatment and surgical treatment. The location of intervertebral disc in spinal canal was mainly ventral (69.9%), and when the prognosis was evaluated according to the compression rate of the spinal cord, the prognosis of the surgical treatment (72.7%) was more effective than the non - surgical medication (40.6%). Surgical treatment (83.3%) was more successful than nonsurgical medication (60%), especially in cases of severe spinal cord compression (> 50%). In this study, surgical treatment was more effective when the neurological symptoms were severe or the spinal cord compression rate was high.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.296-299
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• 2006

A 35-year-old woman, previously treated for systemic metastases from retroperitoneal yolk sac tumor, presented with progressive painful paraparesis. Preoperative images showed severe cord compression by the metastatic infiltration of the lumbar vertebrae and epidural mass as well as a huge retroperitoneal mass. While performing unremarkable surgery in prone position, the patient abruptly fell into hypoxic insults and circulatory arrest. Intraoperative pulmonary tumor embolism was deemed a cause of death. When planning operative procedure for this dangerous malignancy, scrupulous manipulation is mandated and the possibility of fatal pulmonary tumor embolism should also be addressed and fully discussed preoperatively.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.129-131
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• 2013

The incidence of spinal meningioma is very rare in children. A 14-year-old girl presented with right arm weakness, gait disturbance, and urinary incontinence. Cervical magnetic resonance imaging revealed an intradural extramedullary tumor dorsal to the spinal cord in the level of C1. The tumor was totally removed despite the severe cord compression. Meningotheliomatous meningioma was diagnosed after histological examination.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.55-57
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• 2010

Ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) in the thoracic spine is rare, even in the Far East. A 45-year-old female presented with a 4month history of progressive motor weakness in the lower extremities, numbness below the midthoracic area, and spastic gait disturbance. Neuroradiological examinations revealed massive OPLLs at the T4-T6 levels with severe anterior compression of the spinal cord. Anterior decompressive corpectomies with bone grafts were performed from T4 to T6 using a trans-thoracic approach. After surgery, the patient made an uneventful recovery. However, eleven years after surgery, the patient developed recurrent lower extremity weakness and spastic gait disturbance. De novo OPLLs at the C6-T2 levels were responsible for the severe spinal cord compression on this occasion. After second surgery, paralysis in both legs was resolved. We present a rare case of late cervicothoracic OPLL in a patient surgically treated for thoracic OPLL.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.458-460
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• 2010

Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH), a disorder of the phagocytic system, is a rare condition. Moreover, spinal involvement causing myelopathy is even rare and unusual. Here, we report a case of atypical LCH causing myelopathy, which was subsequently treated by corpectemy and fusion. A 5-year-old boy presented with 3 weeks of severe neck pain and limited neck movement accompanying right arm motor weakness. CT scans revealed destruction of C7 body and magnetic resonance imaging showed a tumoral process at C7 with cord compression. Interbody fusion using cervical mesh packed by autologus iliac bone was performed. Pathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of LCH. After the surgery, the boy recovered from radiating pain and motor weakness of right arm. Despite the rarity of the LCH in the cervical spine, it is necessary to maintain our awareness of this condition. When neurologic deficits are present, operative treatment should be considered.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.253-255
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• 2009

Spontaneous spinal subarachnoid hematoma (SSH) is a rare entity to cause spinal cord or nerve root compression and is usually managed as surgical emergencies. We report a case of spontaneous SSH manifesting as severe lumbago, which demonstrated nearly complete clinical resolution with conservative treatment A 58-year-old female patient developed a large SSH, which was not related to blood dyscrasia, anticoagulation, lumbar puncture. or trauma. Patient had severe lumbago but no neurologic deficits. Because of absence of neurologic deficits, she was treated conservatively. Follow-up magnetic resonance (MR) image showed complete resolution. Conservative treatment of SSH may be considered if the patient with spontaneous SSH has no neurologic deficits.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.60-64
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• 2009

Nontraumatic intracranial subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) attributable to the thoracolumbar dural arteriovenous fistulas (DAVFs) has been extremely rare. A 41-year-old male patient was admitted with severe acute headache, neck stiffness, and pronounced low-back pain radiating to both legs. The T2-weighted MR imaging showed irregular signal void and enlarged, varix like pouch formation with spinal cord compression at the T11-12 level. The angiogram revealed a DAVF. We report a DAVF case with SAH that revealed an extensive infarction from C5 to the conus medullaris after undergoing operative treatment.