Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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J Korean Neurosurg Soc · Sep 2010
The efficacy of repeated radiofrequency medial branch neurotomy for lumbar facet syndrome.
Radiofrequency (RF) medial branch neurotomy is an effective management of lumbar facet syndrome. However, pain may recur after period of time. When pain recurs, it can be repeated, but the successful outcome and duration of relief from repeated procedures are not clearly known. The objective of this study was to determine the success rate and duration of pain relief from repeated radiofrequency medial branch neurotomy for lumbar facet syndrome. ⋯ Results of this study indicate that the frequency of success and durations of relief from repeated RF medial branch neurotomy for lumbar facet syndrome are similar to initial results that provided relatively prolonged period of pain relief without major side effects. Each procedure seems to provide successful pain relief for about 10 months in more than 85% of carefully selected patients when properly done.
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J Korean Neurosurg Soc · Sep 2010
Analysis of complications following decompressive craniectomy for traumatic brain injury.
Adequate management of increased intracranial pressure (ICP) is critical in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI), and decompressive craniectomy is widely used to treat refractory increased ICP. The authors reviewed and analyzed complications following decompressive craniectomy for the management of TBI. ⋯ A poor GCS score (≤ 8) and an age of ≥ 65 were found to be related to the occurrence of one of the above-mentioned complications. These results should help neurosurgeons anticipate these complications, to adopt management strategies that reduce the risks of complications, and to improve clinical outcomes.
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J Korean Neurosurg Soc · Sep 2010
The avoidance of microsurgical complications in the extradural anterior clinoidectomy to paraclinoid aneurysms.
Paraclinoid segment internal carotid artery (ICA) aneurysms have historically been a technical challenge for neurovascular surgeons. The development of microsurgical approach, advances in surgical techniques, and endovascular procedures have improved the outcome for paraclinoid aneurysms. However, many authors have reported high complication rates from microsurgical treatments. Therefore, the present study reviews the microsurgical complications of the extradural anterior clinoidectomy for treating paraclinoid aneurysms and investigates the prevention and management of observed complications. ⋯ Although surgical complications are still reported to occur more frequently for the treatment of paraclinoid aneurysms, the permanent morbidity and mortality resulting from a extradural anterior clinoidectomy in our series were lower than previously reported. Precise anatomical knowledge combined with several microsurgical tactics can help to achieve good outcomes with minimal complications.
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J Korean Neurosurg Soc · Sep 2010
Clinical outcome of cranial neuropathy in patients with pituitary apoplexy.
Pituitary apoplexy (PA) is described as a clinical syndrome characterized by sudden headache, vomiting, visual impairment, and meningismus caused by rapid enlargement of a pituitary adenoma. We retrospectively analyzed the clinical presentation and surgical outcome in PA presenting with cranial neuropathy. ⋯ PA is a rare event, complicating 3.3% in our series. Even in blindness following pituitary apoplexy cases, improvement of cranial neuropathy is possible if adequate management is initiated in time. Surgical decompression must be considered as soon as possible in cases with severe visual impairment or cranial neuropathy.
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J Korean Neurosurg Soc · Sep 2010
Case ReportsTraumatic Pseudoaneurysm of the Superficial Temporal Artery due to Gardner Traction.
We report a case of pseudoaneurysm of the parietal division of the superficial temporal artery (STA) secondary to iatrogenic head injury due to Gardner traction. A 54-year-old man presented with a pulsatile, cystic, and painless mass in the right anterior temporal region which developed three weeks after head fixation via Gardner traction. At the time of discovery, the mass was 10 mm in diameter, compressible and disappeared after manual compression of the proximal STA. ⋯ The pseudoaneurysm was thought to be filled with infected thrombus, and the mass was resected with ligation of the proximal and distal ends of the STA. A pseudoaneurysm of the STA should be suspected when there is a history of possible vessel injury, such as a history of head-pin fixation, and when a patient presents with a pulsatile, cystic mass near the temple. Pseudoaneurysms can be successfully treated by excision.