• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.109-114
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• 2010

Objective : To evaluate the clinical outcome of coil embolization for unruptured intracranial aneurysm (UIA) with oculomotor nerve palsy (ONP) compared with surgical clipping. Methods : A total of 19 patients presented with ONP caused by UIAs between Jan 2004 and June 2008. Ten patients underwent coil embolization and nine patients surgical clipping. The following parameters were retrospectively analyzed to evaluate the differences in clinical outcome observed in both coil embolization and surgical clipping : 1) gender, 2) age, 3) location of the aneurysm, 4) duration of the symptom, and 5) degree of ONP. Results : Following treatment, complete symptomatic recovery or partial relief from ONP was observed in 15 patients. Seven of the ten patients were treated by coil embolization, compared to eight of the nine patients treated by surgical clipping (p = 0.582). Patient's gender, age, location of the aneurysm, size of the aneurysm, duration of symptom, and degree of the ONP did not statistically correlate with recovery of symptoms between the two groups. No significant differences were observed in mean improvement time in either group (55 days in coil embolization and 60 days in surgical clipping). Conclusion : This study indicates that no significant differences were observed in the clinical outcome between coil embolization and surgical clipping techniques in the treatment of aneurysms causing ONP. Coil embolization seems to be more feasible and safe treatment modality for the relief and recovery of oculomotor nerve palsy.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.72-76
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• 2013

Objective : Cerebral aneurysm (CA) is an important acquired cerebrovascular disease that can cause catastrophic results. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs, playing essential roles in modulating basic physiologic and pathological processes. Currently, evidences have been established about biologic relationship between miRNAs and abdominal aortic aneurysms. However, biologic roles of miRNAs in CA formation have not been explained yet. We employed microarray analysis to detect and compare miRNA expression profiles in late stage of CA in rat model. Methods : Twenty-six, 7-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent a CA induction procedure. The control animals (n=11) were fed a normal diet, and the experimental animals (n=26) were fed a normal diet with 1% normal saline for 3 months. Then, the rats were sacrificed, their cerebral arteries were dissected, and the five regions of aneurysmal dilation on the left posterior communicating artery were cut for miRNA microarrays analysis. Six miRNAs (miRNA-1, miRNA-223, miRNA-24-1-5p, miRNA-551b, miRNA-433, and miRNA-489) were randomly chosen for validation using real-time quantitative PCR. Results : Among a set of differentially expressed miRNAs, 14 miRNAs were over-expressed more than 200% and 6 miRNAs were down-expressed lower than 50% in the CA tissues. Conclusion : The results show that miRNAs might take part in CA formation probably by affecting multiple target genes and signaling pathways. Further investigations to identify the exact roles of these miRNAs in CA formation are required.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.61 no.1
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• pp.19-27
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• 2018

Objective : The objectives of this study were to evaluate the immediate and long-term efficacy and safety of coil embolization for large or giant aneurysms. Methods : One hundred and fifty large or giant aneurysm cases treated with endovascular coil embolization between January 2005 and February 2014 at a single institute were included in this study. Medical records and imaging findings were reviewed. Statistical analysis was performed to evaluate prognostic factors associated with major recurrence (major recanalization or rupture) and delayed thromboembolism after selective coil embolization. Results : Procedure-related symptomatic complications occurred in five (3.3%) patients. The mean clinical and radiological follow-up periods were 38 months (range, 2-110) and 26 months (range, 6-108), respectively. During the follow-up period, the estimated recurrence rate was 4.6% per year. Multivariate analysis using Cox regression showed the degree of occlusion to be the only factor associated with recurrence (p=0.008, hazard ratio 3.15, 95% confidence interval 1.34-7.41). The patient's history of rupture in addition to the size and location of the aneurysm were not associated with recurrence in this study. Delayed infarction occurred in eight cases, and all were incompletely occluded. Conclusion : Although immediate postprocedural safety profiles were reasonable, longterm results showed recanalization and thromboembolic events to occur continuously, especially in patients with incomplete occlusion. In addition, incomplete occlusion was associated with delayed thromboembolic complications. Patients with incomplete occlusions should be followed carefully for delayed recurrence or delayed thromboembolic events.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.61 no.4
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• pp.474-477
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• 2018

Objective : From November 30, 2016, the Korean Government carried the revised Medical Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Act into effect. Mediation will start automatically without agreements of the defendant, when the outcome of the patient was death, coma more than a month or severe disability. Cerebral aneurysm has a definite risk of bad outcome, especially in the worst condition. Any surgical intervention to this lesion has its own high risk of complications. Recently, Seoul central district court decided 50% responsibility of the doctors who made a rupture of the aneurysm during coiling (2015Ga-Dan5243104). We reviewed judicial precedents related to cerebral aneurysms in lawsuit using a web search. Methods : We searched judicial precedents at a web search of the Supreme Court, using the key words, "cerebral aneurysm". Results : There were 15 precedents, six from the Supreme Court, seven from the High Court, and two from district courts. Seven precedents were related to the causation analysis, such as work-relationship. Five precedents were malpractice suits related bad results or complications. Remaining three precedents were related to the insurance payment. In five malpractice precedents, two precedents of the Supreme Court reversed former two precedents of the High Court. Conclusion : Judicial precedents on the cerebral aneurysm included not only malpractice suits, but also causation analysis or insurance payment. Attention to these subjects is needed. We also need education of the independent medical examination. To avoid medical disputes, shared decision making seems to be useful, especially in cases of high risk condition or procedures.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.58 no.5
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• pp.462-466
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• 2015

Objective : Post-craniotomy seizure (PCS) is reported only rarely. However, our department noted a 433% increase in PCS for a year beginning September 2010, especially after cerebrovascular surgery. Our goal was to identify the cause of our unusual outbreak of PCS. Methods : For almost one year after September 2010, cases of PCS increased significantly in our department. We analyzed 973 patients who had received a major craniotomy between January 2009 and November 2011. We included seizures that occurred only in the first 24 postoperative hours, which we defined as early PCS. After verifying the presence of PCS, we analyzed multiple seizure-provoking factors and their relation to the duration and character of seizure activity. Results : Overall PCS incidence was 7.2% (70/973). Cefazolin (2 g/L saline) was the antibiotic drug used for intraoperative irrigation in 88.4% of the operations, and no PCS occurred without intraoperative cefazolin irrigation. When analyzed by operation type, clipping surgery for unruptured aneurysms was the most frequently associated with PCS (80%). Using logistic regression, only 2 g cefazolin intraoperative irrigation (p=0.024) and unruptured aneurysm clipping surgery (p<0.001) were associated with early PCS. The seizure rate of unruptured aneurysm clipping surgery using 2 g cefazolin intraoperative irrigation was 32.9%. Conclusion : Intraoperative cefazolin irrigation must be avoided in patients undergoing craniotomy, especially for clipping of unruptured aneurysms, because of the increased risk of early PCS.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.177-181
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• 2008

Objective : Hydrocephalus is a common sequelae of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and patients who develop hydrocephalus after SAH typically have a worse prognosis than those who do not. This study was designed to identify factors predictive of shunt-dependent chronic hydrocephalus among patients with aneurysmal SAH, and patients who require permanent cerebrospinal fluid diversion. Methods : Seven-hundred-and-thirty-four patients with aneurysmal SAH who were treated surgically between 1990 and 2006 were retrospectively studied. Three stages of hydrocephalus have been categorized in this paper, i.e., acute (0-3 days after SAH), subacute (4-13 days after SAH), chronic (${\geqq}14$ days after SAH). Criteria indicating the occurrence of hydrocephalus were the presence of significantly enlarged temporal horns or ratio of frontal horn to maximal biparietal diameter more than 30% in computerized tomography. Results : Overall, 66 of the 734 patients (8.9%) underwent shunting procedures for the treatment of chronic hydrocephalus. Statistically significant associations among the following factors and shunt-dependent chronic hydrocephalus were observed. (1) Increased age (p < 0.05), (2) poor Hunt and Hess grade at admission (p < 0.05), (3) intraventricular hemorrhage (p < 0.05), (4) Fisher grade III, IV at admission (p < 0.05), (5) radiological hydrocephalus at admission (p < 0.05), and (6) post surgery meningitis (p < 0.05) did affect development of chronic hydrocephalus. However the presence of intracerebral hemorrhage, multiple aneurysms, vasospasm, and gender did not influence the development of shunt-dependent chronic hydrocephalus. In addition, the location of the ruptured aneurysms in posterior cerebral circulation did not show significant correlation of development of shunt-dependent chronic hydrocephalus. Conclusion : Hydrocephalus after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage seems to have a multifactorial etiology. Understanding predisposing factors related to the shunt-dependent chronic hydrocephalus may help to guide neurosurgeons for better treatment outcomes.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.63 no.5
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• pp.559-565
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• 2020

Objective : Conflicting results regarding SOX17 genes and the risk of intracranial aneurysms (IA) exist in the Korean population, although significant positive correlations were noted in genome-wide association studies in European and Japanese populations. Therefore, we aimed to investigate an association between SOX17 gene variants and IA using exome sequencing data. Methods : This study included 26 age-gender matched IA patients and 26 control subjects. The SOX17 gene variants identified from whole-exome sequencing data were examined. Genetic associations to estimate odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were performed using the software EPACTS. Results : The mean age of the IA and control groups were 51.0±9.3 years and 49.4±14.3 years, respectively (p=0.623). Seven variants of SOX17, including six single nucleotide polymorphisms and one insertion and deletion, were observed. Among these variants, rs12544958 (A>G) showed the most association with IA, but the association was not statistically significant (OR, 1.97; 95% CI, 0.81-4.74; p=0.125). Minor allele frequencies of the IA patients and controls were 0.788 and 0.653, respectively. None of the remaining variants were significantly associated with IA formation. Conclusion : No significant association between SOX17 gene variants and IA were noted in the Korean population. A large-scale exome sequencing study is necessary to investigate any Korean-specific genetic susceptibility to IA.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.20-26
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• 2007

Objective : We present the difference of histopathologic changes of the internal elastic lamina (IEL) and collagen III in the superficial temporal artery (STA) between aneurysmal patients and non-aneurysmal patients. Also, the pathologic data with clinical features by comparative methods to validate the risk factor of the intracranial aneurysm are presented. Methods : Samples of the STA were harvested form 38 patients including aneurysmal and non-aneurysmal patients undergoing craniotomy. Paraffin-embedded sections were examined, using hematoxylin and eosin, van Giebson and mouse anti-collagen III staining techniques. Histopathological observations were ana lysed and correlated with clinical features such as presence of aneurysm, hypertension, age, and sex. Results : Twenty-seven patients had the intracranial aneurysm. Of these 24 patients were 50 years old or older. Nineteen patients had a history of hypertension. Twenty patients were female. Histopathological study demostrated the derangement of IEL and the deficiency of type III collagen were prominent in aneurysmal patients (p < 0.05). Fifty years old or older patients did not show correlation with the deficiency of type III collagen, but with the derangement of IEL (p < 0.05). The female sex was not correlated with the derangement of IEL but with the deficiency of type III collagen (p < 0.05). However, Hypertension was not correlated with these pathologic data. Conclusion : Patients with intracranial aneurysms have severe histopathologic changes of the arterial wall showing the derangement of IEL and the deficiency of type III collagen. In the clinico-pathologic study, the advanced age and female sex were considered as risk factors of the intracranial aneurysm.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.57 no.6
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• pp.455-459
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• 2015

Objective : A cost comparison of the surgical clipping and endovascular coiling of unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIAs), and the identification of the principal cost determinants of these treatments. Methods : This study conducted a retrospective review of data from a series of patients who underwent surgical clipping or endovascular coiling of UIAs between January 2011 and May 2014. The medical records, radiological data, and hospital cost data were all examined. Results : When comparing the total hospital costs for surgical clipping of a single UIA (n=188) and endovascular coiling of a single UIA (n=188), surgical treatment [$mean{\pm}$standard deviation (SD) : \$8,280,000{\pm}1,490,000$] resulted in significantly lower total hospital costs than endovascular treatment ($mean{\pm}SD$ : \$11,700,000{\pm}3,050,000$, p<0.001). In a multi regression analysis, the factors significantly associated with the total hospital costs for endovascular treatment were the aneurysm diameter (p<0.001) and patient age (p=0.014). For the endovascular group, a Pearson correlation analysis revealed a strong positive correlation (r=0.77) between the aneurysm diameter and the total hospital costs, while a simple linear regression provided the equation, y (\)=6,658,630+855,250x (mm), where y represents the total hospital costs and x is the aneurysm diameter. Conclusion : In South Korea, the total hospital costs for the surgical clipping of UIAs were found to be lower than those for endovascular coiling when the surgical results were favorable without significant complications. Plus, a strong positive correlation was noted between an increase in the aneurysm diameter and a dramatic increase in the costs of endovascular coiling.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.405-409
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• 2005

Objective: The purpose of this study is to assess the factors related to the outcome of 84 patients who underwent surgery for anterior communicating Artery(ACoA) aneurysms. Methods: The authors review 84 patients who were undertaken from January 1998 to May 2004. In the management of ACoA aneurysms, the outcome was based on several factors: Clinical condition, Distribution of hemorrhage, Time between aneurysmal rupture and surgery, Direction and shape of the aneurysm. Results: The incidence rate of the ACoA aneurysm was 35%. Seventy four patients were classified as those having a good recovery, but 5 patients suffered from some morbidity and 5 patients died. The rate of good outcome for the patients with Hunt and Hess grade was as follows 100% in grade I, 95% in grade II, 80% in grade III, IV and V. The rate of good outcome for the patients with Fisher grade was as follows 98% in grade I, II and 81% in grade III, IV. Nineteen of 22 patients who underwent early surgery were rated as good, while twenty six of 30 patients for whom surgery was delayed showed a favorable result. The unfavorable outcomes were also attributed by vasospasm or other medical problems. Conclusion: For further improvement of the overall surgical outcome: First, early surgical intervention is recommended for good grade patients. Second, active management of poor grade patients should be scrutinized with early surgery. Third, it is also important to step up the effort to minimize the risk of medical complications to enhance surgical results on top of the mainstay of prevention efforts for vasospasm and rebleeding.