• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
• /
• v.81 no.6
• /
• pp.1511-1516
• /
• 2020

The anomalous retro-psoas iliac artery is an extremely rare congenital iliolumbar vascular anomaly. A 51-year-old woman presented to our emergency department with worsening right lower extremity pain and weakness for 3 months. CT angiography of the right lower extremity showed no evidence of stenosis in the lower extremity arteries and the incidental finding of an anomalous right retro-psoas iliac artery. Herein, we report a rare case of anomalous retro-psoas iliac artery. Surgeons and clinicians need to be aware of this rare congenital anomaly to avoid severe complications during pelvic or orthopedic surgery.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
• /
• v.19 no.2
• /
• pp.157-185
• /
• 2009

Objectives : The aim of this study is to suggest approach of oriental medical management and necessity by research of eastern and western medical literatures for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome(CRPS). Methods : We reviewed the clinical and experimental literatures of eastern and western concerned with CRPS which is related causation, signs and symptoms, diagnosis, etiology and management. Results : 1. CRPS is divided into type I and II by nerve injury. Two types of CRPS have been recognized: type I, corresponds to RSD and occurs without a definable nerve lesion, and type II, formerly called causalgia refers to cases where a definable nerve lesion is present. These conditions can be charaterized clinically by the sensory abnormalities, vascular abnormalities, oedema, sweating abnormalities, motor or trophic changes. 2. CRPS are well known to patients and physicians relatively, but the pathophysiology, causation and treatments are still unclear. 3. CRPS is needed to take the early diagnosis and multidisciplinary approach for significant effect. 4. CRPS can be regarded for obstruction syndrome of Ki and blood(痺證), blood stasis(瘀血), Wei symptom(痿證), numbness(痲木) in the oriental medical management of CRPS. Conclusions : Above the results, it is suggested that further studies and active approach of management of CRPS will be conducted precisely in oriental medicine.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
• /
• v.23 no.2
• /
• pp.163-169
• /
• 2010

Purpose: Spinal epidural hematoma (EDH) is a rare condition requiring an urgent diagnosis and management. We describe here the clinical features, magnetic resonance image (MRI) findings, and outcomes of surgery in six patients with spinal EDH. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed six patients who underwent surgery for spinal EDH between April 2004 and May 2010. Preoperative MRI findings within 48 hours of symptom occurrence were analyzed for cord compression, extent of EDH, and presence of vascular abnormalities. Pre- and postoperative neurological status was also assessed comparatively. Results: Our six patients consisted of three men and three women, with a mean age of 70 years (range: 54-88 years), who presented with the back pain or motor weakness. The mean follow-up period was 34 months (range: 2-72 months). Two patients had cardiovascular disease and were taking warfarin, but the others had no history of medical comorbidity. Those two patients taking warfarin had a history of trauma, another one experienced symptoms during a strenuous effort, and the others developed spontaneously. Before surgery, motor power was grade III in three patients, grade 0 in two patients, and normal in one patient. Preoperative MRI showed no vascular abnormalities except for the EDH in any patient. At the last follow-up, all those five patients with motor weakness showed neurological improvement compared to their preoperative status. There were no complications related to surgery. All six patients were able to ambulate with or without an assistive device. Conclusion: Spinal EDH can occur in patients without trauma, bleeding diathesis, or combined vascular pathology. The surgical outcomes of spinal EDH seem to be satisfactory, even in quadriplegic patients.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• v.57 no.5
• /
• pp.379-385
• /
• 2015

Chronic subdural hematomas mainly occur amongst elderly people and usually develop after minor head injuries. In younger patients, subdural collections may be related to hypertension, coagulopathies, vascular abnormalities, and substance abuse. Different techniques can be used for the surgical treatment of symptomatic chronic subdural hematomas : single or double burr-hole evacuation, with or without subdural drainage, twist-drill craniostomies and classical craniotomies. Failure of the brain to re-expand, pneumocephalus, incomplete evacuation, and recurrence of the fluid collection are common complications following these procedures. Acute subdural hematomas may also occur. Rarely reported hemorrhagic complications include subarachnoid, intracerebral, intraventricular, and remote cerebellar hemorrhages. The causes of such uncommon complications are difficult to explain and remain poorly understood. Overdrainage and intracranial hypotension, rapid brain decompression and shift of the intracranial contents, cerebrospinal fluid loss, vascular dysregulation and impairment of venous outflow are the main mechanisms discussed in the literature. In this article we report three cases of different post-operative intracranial bleeding and review the related literature.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
• /
• v.29 no.2
• /
• pp.77-82
• /
• 2012

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is an important cellular fuel sensor. Its activation requires phosphorylation at Thr-172, which resides in the activation loop of the ${\alpha}1$ and ${\alpha}2$ subunits. Several AMPK upstream kinases are capable of phosphorylating AMPK at Thr-172, including LKB1 and CaMKK${\beta}$ ($Ca^{2+}$/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase${\beta}$). AMPK has been implicated in the regulation of physiological signals, such as in the inhibition of cholesterol fatty acid, and protein synthesis, and enhancement of glucose uptake and blood flow. AMPK activation also exhibits several salutary effects on the vascular function and improves vascular abnormalities. AMPK is modulated by numerous hormones and cytokines that regulate the energy balance in the whole body. These hormone and cytokines include leptin, adiponectin, ghrelin, and even thyroid hormones. Moreover, AMPK is activated by several drugs and xenobiotics. Some of these are in being clinically used to treat type 2 diabetes (e.g., metformin and thiazolidinediones), hypertension (e.g., nifedipine and losartan), and impaired blood flow (e.g., aspirin, statins, and cilostazol). I reviewed the precise mechanisms of the AMPK activation pathway and AMPK-modulating drugs.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.76 no.6
• /
• pp.295-298
• /
• 2014

Pulmonary systemic arterialization to normal basal lung without sequestration is a rare congenital anomaly. In this rare abnormality, arterialization of the left lower lobe is the most common type. In general, surgical treatments have been performed. Recently, for reducing the complications and risks of surgery, embolization is mainly attempted by using coils. We report a case of 22-year-old male patient with a 10 mm anomalous arterial supply to his normal lung, which is being successfully treated by transcatheter embolization when using the Amplatzer Vascular Plug that has been adapted for the treatment of high-flows and large artery occlusions.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• v.56 no.2
• /
• pp.90-93
• /
• 2013

Congenital coronary arteriovenous fistulas (CCAFs) are rare coronary artery abnormalities in which blood is shunted into a cardiac chamber or great vessel. If the fistula itself is large and tortuous, it is generally recommended to occlude the fistula to prevent several complications. In approaches of transcatheter occlusion, the transvenous approach is preferred over the transarterial approach. The transvenous approach would enable the cannulation of a relatively larger catheter or sheath without potential damage to the femoral vessels or normal coronary arteries, which can occur in the transarterial approach. The transvenous approach may also minimize the blind pouch after releasing the devices. Herein, we report the success of transvenous proximal closure of a CCAF using an Amplatzer vascular plug (AVP) in a 3-year-old patient with cardiomegaly. Complete occlusion was achieved by a single AVP and thrombus formation of the distal aneurysmal portion of the fistula. We suggest that this strategy of closing the proximal end with a dilated fistula using a single AVP by the transvenous approach may be a good option in treating CCAFs in a young child.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• v.29 no.3
• /
• pp.411-419
• /
• 2000

Hematomyelia is an extremely rare condition that cause severe neurological symptoms. We reported 4 cases of spontaneous hematomyelia, two cases of cavernous angioma and two cases of hematoma. In all patients, the clinical course was progressive ; motor and sensory abnormalities below the lesion and voiding difficulties were the common presenting symptom complex. The preoperative diagnosis was made by magnetic resonance imaging and the all patients underwent surgical exploration. Complete removal of hematoma was done in 3 patients and complete evacuation after aspiration of hematoma were performed in one patients. Neurological function did not worsen postoperatively in any patients. The early diagnosis with magnetic resonance imaging and immediate surgical treatment of the hematoma and the associated vascular malformation are considered to be the best way to halt the progression of the disease.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
• /
• v.48 no.6
• /
• pp.646-650
• /
• 2021

Head and neck reconstruction poses unique challenges in rehabilitating surgical defects in terms of integrity, function, and form. The radial forearm free flap (RFFF) has been widely used for defect coverage, especially in the head and neck area, but its versatility allows it to be used for soft-tissue reconstruction in various parts of the body. The vascular features of the flap are quite constant and reliable. Nevertheless, abnormalities of the forearm vascular tree have been described over the decades. We report a case of intraoral reconstruction after verrucous carcinoma recurrence in a 74-year-old woman with an unusual forearm flap, which we called the median forearm free flap, based on a median branch of the radial artery that was preoperatively detected using handheld Doppler ultrasonography. The distally located skin paddle was predominantly supplied by the aberrant median vessel with its perforators. The flap was thus safely harvested with this atypical pedicle. Successful reconstruction of the intraoral defect was achieved, with an uneventful postoperative course.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
• /
• v.21 no.2
• /
• pp.82-90
• /
• 2017

Purpose: This study investigated the MRI, MR angiography (MRA) and MR perfusion findings of seizure-related cerebral cortical lesions during the periictal period. Materials and Methods: From a retrospective review of the institutional database between 2011 and 2014, a total of 21 patients were included in this study. Two radiologists assessed periictal MRI, including MRA and MR perfusion, in patients with seizure-related cortical lesions. The parameters examined include: location of cortical abnormality, multiplicity of the affected cortical region, cerebral vascular dilatation, perfusion abnormality and other parenchymal lesions. Results: All patients showed T2 hyperintense cerebral cortical lesions with accompanying diffusion restriction, either unilateral (18/21, 85.7%) or bilateral (3/21, 14.3%). Of the 21 patients enrolled, 10 (47.6%) had concurrent T2 hyperintense thalamic lesions, and 10 (47.6%) showed hippocampal involvement. Of the 17 patients (81%) who underwent MRA, 13 (76.5%) showed vascular dilatation with increased flow signal in the cerebral arteries of the affected cortical regions. On MR perfusion, all 5 patients showed cortical hyperperfusion, corresponding to the region of cortical abnormalities. Conclusion: Seizure-related cerebral cortical lesions are characterized by T2 and diffusion hyperintensities, with corresponding cerebral hyperperfusion and vascular dilatation. These findings can be helpful for making an accurate diagnosis in patients with seizure.