• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.211-219
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• 2013

Objective : The objectives of the present study were to characterize the natural course of initially non-operated traumatic acute subdural hematoma (ASDH) and to identify the risk factors of hematoma progression. Methods : Retrospective analysis was performed using sequential computed tomography (CT) images maintained in a prospective observational database containing 177 ASDH cases treated from 2005 to 2011. Patients were allocated to four groups as followings; 136 (76.8%) patients to the spontaneous resolution group, 12 (6.8%) who underwent operation between 4 hours and 7 days to the rapid worsening group (RWG), 24 (13.6%) who experienced an increase of hematoma and that underwent operation between 7 and 28 days to the subacute worsening group (SWG), and 5 (2.8%) who developed delayed aggravation requiring surgery from one month after onset to the delayed worsening group (DWG). Groups were compared with respect to various factors. Results : No significant intergroup difference was found with respect to age, mechanism of injury, or initial Glasgow Coma Scale. The presence of combined cerebral contusion or subarachnoid hemorrhage was found to be a significant prognostic factor. Regarding CT findings, mixed density was common in the RWG and the SWG. Midline shifting, hematoma thickness, and numbers of CT slices containing hematoma were significant prognostic factors of the RWG and the SWG. Brain atrophy was more severe in the SWG and the DWG. Conclusion : A large proportion of initially non-operated ASDHs worsen in the acute or subacute phase. Patients with risk factors should be monitored carefully for progression by repeat CT imaging.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.16-20
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• 2008

Objective : Rapid increase in aged population and westernization of lifestyle have modified epidemiological status of stroke. The purpose of this study is to analyze changing trends of stroke epidemiology in South Korea. Methods : We reviewed retrospectively medical records of 1,124 cases diagnosed as stroke among 54,534 patients who visited the Emergency Medical Center at our hospital from January 1994 to December 1996 (Group A). Also, we evaluated 1,705 cases diagnosed as stroke among 55,381 patients who visited to the same hospital from January 2003 to December 2005 (Group B). The variable features of stroke, such as age, sex, seasonal variation and distribution of stroke subtypes were studied by comparing group A with B. Results : In group A, hemorrhagic stroke (67.9%) was more prevalent than ischemic stroke (32.1%). However, group B showed that the ratio of hemorrhagic stroke (40.3%) to ischemic stroke (59.6%) has been reversed. The highest incidence of stroke was noted in their sixties and seventies of age in group B, which was older than that of group A. In group A, male ischemic stroke (IS) patients outnumbered female patients (1.26:1). Moreover, this gender disproportion became higher in group B (1.53:1). In group A, the number of male intracerebral hermorrhage (ICH) patients were similar to that of female patients (0.97:1). However, male ICH patients outnumbered female patients in group B (1.23:1). As for subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), female patients outnumbered male patients more than two-fold in both groups. Both groups showed that the occurrence of ischemic stroke was highest in summer, but that of hemorrhagic stroke was the highest in winter. Conclusion : This study showed the changing trends of stroke in its distribution of subtypes. Multicenter prospective study using stroke registry would be required for the determination of national epidemiologic trends.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.281-285
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• 2007

Objective : Distal anterior cerebral artery (DACA) aneurysms are fragile and known to have high risks for intraoperative premature rupture and a relatively high associated morbidity. To improve surgical outcomes of DACA aneurysms, we reviewed our surgical strategy and its results postoperatively. Methods : A total of 845 patients with ruptured cerebral aneurysms were operated in our hospital from January 1991 to December 2005. Twenty-three of 845 patients had ruptured DACA aneurysms which were operated on according to our surgical strategy. Our surgical strategy was as follows; early surgery, appropriate releasing of CSF, appropriate surgical approach, using neuronavigating system, securing the bridging veins, using temporary clipping and/or tentative clipping, meticulous manipulation of aneurysm, and using micro-Doppler flow probe. Twenty of 23 patients who had complete medical records were studied retrospectively. We observed the postoperative radiographic findings and checked Glasgow Outcome Scale score sixth months after the operation. Results : Nineteen DACA aneurysms were clipped through a unilateral interhemispheric approach and one DACA aneurysm was clipped through a pterional approach. Postoperative radiographic findings revealed complete clipping of aneurysmal neck without stenosis or occlusion of parent arteries. In two patients, a residual neck of aneurysm was visualized. Seventeen patients showed good recovery, one patient resulted in moderate disability, while 2 patients died. Conclusion : With our surgical strategy it was possible to achieve acceptable surgical morbidity and mortality rates in patients with DACA aneurysms. Appropriate use of tentative clipping, temporary clipping and neuro-navigating systems can give great help for safe approach and clipping of DACA aneurysm.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.357-362
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• 2006

Objective : The incidence of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage has been increasing. At the same time, surgical results for elderly patients are unsatisfactory and no guidelines of treatment are available. We carried out a study comparing variable factors and surgical results between young and old age groups to find ways to improve prognosis. Methods : A retrospective study was carried out on 754 patients who were operated on between 1990 and 2004 by the same surgeon in our hospital. The patients were divided into seven groups according to age : 93 patients below 40 years of age [Group I], 419 patients aged $40{\sim}59$ [Group II], 115 patients aged $60{\sim}64$ [Group III], 82 patients aged $65{\sim}69$ [Group IV], 28 patients aged $70{\sim}74$ [Group V], 12 patients aged $75{\sim}79$ [Group VI] and 5 patients over the age of 80 [Group VII]. We then checked their medical history, Fisher's grade, Hunt-Hess grade, postoperative complications, and Glasgow Outcome Scale. Results : Age was not a statistically significant factor among patients below 70 years of age [P $value{\ge}0.05$]. But for those aged 70 and older, the age factor had a statistical value [P $value{\le}0.001$]. In addition, there was a close correlation between Hunt-Hess grade IV and V patients, and those with vasospasm, and hydrocephalus after surgery, with poor prognosis in elderly patients as well as young patients [P $value{\le}0.001$]. Conclusion : Advanced age [under the age of 70] dose not precluded adequate surgical treatment in patient with AN SAH, and we should be also alert to preventable causes of delayed neurological deterioration for improving the outcome in all elderly groups.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.99-102
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• 2006

Objective : To document surgical mortality and morbidity for the treatment of unruptured intracranial aneurysms, and to identify optimal treatment modalities, the authors reviewed and analyzed the surgical results. Methods : The authors reviewed 49 cases of unruptured intracranial aneurysm without a previous history of subarachnoid hemorrhage from March 1984 through December 2003. Unruptured intracranial aneurysms were categorized as asymptomatic and symptomatic, and operative results were assessed using the Karnofsky scale at 3 months postoperatively. Outcomes were defined as 'excellent' for a Karnofsky scale score of 100, 'good' for a score of $80{\sim}90$, 'fair' for $50{\sim}70$, 'poor' for $10{\sim}40$, or as 'death'. Excellent and good results were defined as a 'favorable' outcome and others as 'unfavorable' outcome. Results : Of the 49 study subjects, 45 had a favorable outcome and 4 an unfavorable outcome. Surgical mortality was 6.1% and surgical morbidity was 2.0% for all subjects. And the symptomatic group had more complications. Conclusion : There were no significant relationships between aneurysmal size, location, and preoperative symptoms with surgical results. And we believe that the reasons for morbidity and mortality are attributable to strokes, thus more attention should be paid to peri- and post-operative patients care with a focus on strokes prevention in the symptomatic group.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.287-292
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• 2005

Objective: Recent clinical studies have demonstrated that intracisternal administration of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator(rt-PA) can facilitate the normal clearing of blood from the subarachnoid space. Urokinase, a first generation fibrinolytic agent, has been used to liquify such clots with some success. Therefore, recombinant tissue plasminogen activator, a second generation fibrinolytic drug that may be safer and more effective, is studied to evaluate its dosage to lyse clots in vitro and reactivity in the brain parenchyme. Methods: Intracerebral hematomas were created by stereotactically injecting 2ml of clotted autogenous blood into the brain parenchyme of total 28 anesthetized adult cats (weighting 3.8 to 4.1 kg). The control animals (group A) received 1 ml of normal saline injected into the clots and the experimental animals received each 0.1 mg of rt-PA (group B), 0.5mg of rt-PA (group C) and 1 mg of rt-PA (group D) at 6 hours after the clot injection. Results: 1. The amount of remained clots after lysing the hematomas were as follows: $1.80{\pm}0.17ml$ in group A, $1.65{\pm}0.23ml$ in group B, $0.61{\pm}0.37ml$ in group C and $0.52{\pm}0.34$ in group D. The result indicated that hematomas in rt-PA treated groups (C & D) were lysed better than the control group. 2. At least 0.5mg of rt-PA should be required for the lysis of 2ml of hematomas. 3. Light microscopic examination revealed no histological evidence of hemorrhage in tissue sections from each brain. Conclusion: Recombinant tissue plasminogen activator may be safely and effectively employed for the lysis of intracerebral hematomas in animal model.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.207-212
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• 2010

Objective : To assess the feasibility, safety, and effectiveness of the balloon-assisted technique with HyperForm balloon in the endovascular treatment of wide-necked intracranial aneurysms. Methods : A total of 34 patients with 34 wide-necked intracranial aneurysms were treated with endovascular coil embolization using balloon-assisted technique with Hyperform balloon. Twenty-nine aneurysms (85.3%) were located in the anterior circulation. The group of patients was comprised of 16 men and 18 women, aged 33 to 72 years (mean : 60.6 years). The size of aneurysms was in the range of 2.0 to 22.0 mm (mean 5.5 mm) and one of neck was 2.0 to 11.9 mm (mean 3.8 mm). The dome to neck ratio was ranged from 0.83 to 1.43 (1.15). Sixteen patients were treated for unruptured aneurysms and the remaining 18 presented with a subarachnoid hemorrhage. Results : In the 34 aneurysms treated by the remodeling technique with HyperForm balloon, immediate angiographic results consisted of total occlusion in 31 cases (91.2%) and partial occlusion in three cases (8.8%). There were five procedure-related complications (14.7%), including two coil protrusions and three thromboembolisms; Except one patient, all were successfully resolved without permanent neurologic deficit. No new bleeding occurred during the follow-up. Twenty patients (59%) underwent angiographic follow-up from 2 to 33 months (mean 9.2 months) after treatment. Focal recanalization with coil compaction of the neck portion was observed in 5 cases (25%). Only one case showed major recanalization and underwent stent-assisted coil embolization. Conclusion : The balloon-assisted technique with Hyperform balloon is a feasible, safe, and effective endovascular treatment of wide-necked cerebral aneurysms.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.59 no.1
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• pp.11-16
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• 2016

Objective : We conducted a retrospective cohort study to elucidate the natural course of unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIAs) at a single institution. Methods : Data from patients diagnosed with UIA from March 2000 to May 2008 at our hospital were subjected to a retrospective analysis. The cumulative and annual aneurysm rupture rates were calculated. Additionally, risk factors associated with aneurysmal rupture were identified. Results : A total of 1339 aneurysms in 1006 patients met the inclusion criteria. During the follow-up period, 685 aneurysms were treated before rupture via either an open surgical or endovascular procedure. Six hundred fifty-four UIAs were identified and not repaired during the follow-up period. The mean UIA size was $4.5{\pm}3.2mm$, and 86.5% of the total UIAs had a largest dimension <7 mm. Among these UIAs, 18 ruptured at a median of 1.6 years (range : 27 days to 9.8 years) after day 0. The annual rupture risk during a 9-year follow-up was 1.00%. A multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis revealed that the aneurysm size and a history of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) were statistically significant risk factors for rupture. For an aneurysms smaller than 7 mm in the absence of a history of SAH, the annual rupture risk was 0.79%. Conclusion : In our study, the annual rupture risk for UIAs smaller than 7 mm in the absence of a history of SAH was higher than that of Western populations but similar to that of the Japanese population.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.1687-1689
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• 2013

We performed a case-control study to investigate whether SNPs of CHIP might affect the development of IA in Chinese Han nationality. We believe we are the first to have screened IA patients for mutations in the CHIP gene to determine the association with these variants. The study group comprised 224 Chinese Han nationality patients with at least one intracranial aneurysm and 238 unrelated healthy Han nationality controls. Genomic DNA was isolated from blood leukocytes. The entire coding regions of CHIP were genotyped by PCR amplification and DNA sequencing. Differences in genotype and allele frequencies between patients and controls were tested by the chi-square method. Genotype and allele frequencies of the SNP rs116166850 was demonstrated to be in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. No significant difference in genotype or allele frequencies between case and control groups was detected at the SNP. Our data do not support the hypothesis of a major role for the CHIP gene in IA development in the Chinese Han population.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.101-105
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• 2007

Purpose: This study aimed to find any difference in the clinical or the anatomical findings of vertebral artery dissection (VAD) between the trauma and the non-trauma groups. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical data and radiologic images of VAD patients. We compared data on symptoms, neurologic deficit, National institutes of health stroke scale (NIHSS) at admission, Rankin score (RS) at admission and discharge, and radiological findings including anatomical features, between the trauma and the non-trauma groups. Results: From January 1997 to May 2006, 42 patients were enrolled and 13 patients (31%) had a history of earlier trauma. Focal neurologic deficit (trauma group 11/13 vs. non-trauma group 11/29), cerebral stroke (10/13 vs. 9/29), and extradural lesions of dissection (6/13 vs. 3/28) were more common in the trauma group than non-trauma group (p=0.007, p=0.017, p=0.018, respectively) and NIHSS at admission and discharge were significantly higher (p=0.012, p=0.001, respectively). Dissecting aneurysms were less frequent in the trauma group (2/13 vs. 19/29, p=0.006). Subarachnoid hemorrhage and unfavorable prognostic value (Rankin score at discharge ${\geq}$ 2) showed no differences between the groups (p=0.540, p=0.267, respectively). Conclusion: In VAD patients after trauma, focal neurologic deficit due to ischemic stroke and a steno-occlusive pattern are more frequent than they are in non-trauma patients. The location of dissection was most frequent at the extradural vertebral artery in the trauma group. NIHSS was higher in the trauma groups but the incidence of an unfavorable prognostic value (RS ${\geq}$ 2) was not significantly different between the groups.