No shinkei geka. Neurological surgery
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We report a case of recurrent cerebellar abscess secondary to middle ear cholesteatoma. A 57-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of symptoms of headache and nausea in August, 1992. Brain CT scans revealed acute hydrocephalus complicated by a cerebellar abscess. ⋯ He has been free from recurrence for 2 years, so far. Early diagnosis and prompt intervention are necessary for reducing mortality and morbidity rates due to otogenic brain abscess. Recognizing middle ear cholesteatoma as one of the major causes of neurological entities in the cerebellopontine angle portion, accurate otological examination and prompt treatment can possibly bring about a better prognosis.
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The safety and reliability of neck clipping of the anterior communicating artery (Acom) aneurysm via the pterional approach was evaluated in terms of craniotomy side in 39 consecutive cases operated on by the senior surgeon from April 1991 through March 2000. These aneurysms were approached in principle via the side where the proximal A2 portion of the anterior cerebral artery was located posteriorly, for the purpose of easier identification of all five arteries involved, i.e., A1 and A2 portions of the anterior cerebral arteries of both sides and Acom. All aneurysms were clipped safely irrespective of the approach side because it was possible prior to aneurysmal dissection to prepare both A1 portions of the anterior cerebral arteries for temporary clipping, but not as far as the place where the aneurysm projects inferiorly and its fundus adheres firmly to the optic chiasm. ⋯ In 2 of these 11 aneurysms the difficulty in clipping was not based on what side was used for craniotomy but on their large size. In the remaining 9 aneurysms, the necks of which were all situated on the posterior wall of the Acom, the craniotomy side turned out to be inappropriate when they were approached via the side where the proximal A2 portion of the anterior cerebral artery was located posteriorly. It was concluded that the craniotomy side should be selected so that the surgeon can observe directly the neck of the aneurysm.
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Two thirds of patients suffer from moderate to severe pain after frontotemporal craniotomy. We think neurosurgeons must try to reduce the postoperative pain, which may induce postoperative hypertension, restlessness, and pathological pains. To investigate how preemptive analgesia effects postoperative pain, we assessed the pain in 20 consecutive patients who underwent neck clipping for non-ruptured cerebral aneurysms of anterior circulation systems by frontotemporal craniotomies. ⋯ Patients of the preemptive group had significantly less postoperative pain during the whole post-surgery period and required less administration of NSAID than the control group. Preemptive analgesia procedures No. 1, 2 and 4 reduced the postoperative pain and the total administration of NSAID. Postoperative pain may be reduced after other types of brain surgery, with proper nerve blocks like procedure No. 2, procedures No. 1, 3 and 4.
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Review Case Reports
[A ruptured distal aneurysm, thought to be a mycotic aneurysm, associated with acute subdural hematoma: case report and review of the literature].
A case is described of a ruptured intracranial mycotic aneurysm in the distal middle cerebral artery associated with an acute subdural hematoma. A 55-year-old woman, with a history of tuberculous meningitis at the age of 7, presented left hemiparesis. She was in a state of semi-coma. ⋯ The incidence of ruptured mycotic aneurysms presenting with acute subdural hematoma is extremely low. There have been only four previously reported cases as far as I can ascertain. This case and a review of the literature are discussed.