Requirements for Cerebrovascular Surgery in Comprehensive Stroke Centers in South Korea.

OBJECTIVE: Cerebrovascular disease (CVD) was the third most common cause of death in South Korea in 2014. Evidence from abroad suggests that comprehensive stroke centers play an important role in improving the mortality rate of stroke. However, surgical treatment for CVD is currently slightly neglected by national policy, and there is still regional imbalance in this regard. For this reason, we conducted a survey on the necessity of, and the requirements for, establishing regional comprehensive cerebrovascular surgery centers (CCVSCs). METHODS: This investigation was performed using the questionnaire survey method. The questionnaire was consisted with two sections. The first concerned the respondent's opinion regarding the current status of demand and the regional imbalance of cerebrovascular surgery in South Korea. The second section asked about the requirements for establishing regional CCVSCs. We sent the questionnaire to 100 board members of the Korean Society of Cerebrovascular Surgeons. RESULTS: Most experts agreed that cerebrovascular surgery patients were concentrated in large hospitals in the capital area, and 83.6% of respondents agreed that it was necessary to alleviate the regional imbalance of cerebrovascular surgery. With regards to personnel, over 90% of respondents answered that at least two neuro-vascular surgeons and two neuro-interventionists are necessary to establish a CCVSC. Regarding facilities, almost all respondents stated that each CCVSC would require a neuro-intensive care unit and hybrid operating room. The survey asked the respondents about 13 specific neurovascular surgical procedures and whether they were necessary for a regional CCVSC. In the questions about the necessity of cerebrovascular surgical equipment, all seven pieces of equipment were considered essential by all respondents. A further five pieces of equipment were considered necessary on site: computed tomographic angiography, magnetic resonance angiography, conventional angiography, surgical microscope, and surgical navigation. Our results may provide a basis for future policy regarding treatment of cerebrovascular disease, including surgery. CONCLUSION: Raising the comprehensiveness of treatment at a regional level would lower the national disease burden. Policies should be drafted regarding comprehensive treatment including surgery for cerebrovascular disease, and related support plans should be implemented.

Korean Clinical Practice Guidelines for Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage.

Despite advancements in treating ruptured cerebral aneurysms, an aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) is still a grave cerebrovascular disease associated with a high rate of morbidity and mortality. Based on the literature published to date, worldwide academic and governmental committees have developed clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) to propose standards for disease management in order to achieve the best treatment outcomes for aSAHs. In 2013, the Korean Society of Cerebrovascular Surgeons issued a Korean version of the CPGs for aSAHs. The group researched all articles and major foreign CPGs published in English until December 2015 using several search engines. Based on these articles, levels of evidence and grades of recommendations were determined by our society as well as by other related Quality Control Committees from neurointervention, neurology and rehabilitation medicine. The Korean version of the CPGs for aSAHs includes risk factors, diagnosis, initial management, medical and surgical management to prevent rebleeding, management of delayed cerebral ischemia and vasospasm, treatment of hydrocephalus, treatment of medical complications and early rehabilitation. The CPGs are not the absolute standard but are the present reference as the evidence is still incomplete, each environment of clinical practice is different, and there is a high probability of variation in the current recommendations. The CPGs will be useful in the fields of clinical practice and research.

Epidural Fluid Collection After Percutaneous Endoscopic Lumbar Discectomy.

OBJECTIVE: The frequency and extent of epidural fluid collection after percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy (PELD) have not been previously described. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the significance of epidural fluid collection after PELD. METHODS: From March 2008 to November 2015, immediate postoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of 464 consecutive patients, comprising 284 men and 180 women, were obtained after PELD. The mean age of the patients at the time of admission was 43.1 years (range, 18-81 years). We also performed 24-hour follow-up MRIs after PELD in 35 patients to evaluate the morphologic changes on epidural fluid collection and to identify whether the collection was due to saline accumulation or cerebrospinal fluid leak. RESULTS: The level of disc herniation was at L4-5, L5-S1, L3-4, and L2-3 in 245 (52.8%), 173 (37.3%), 37 (8.0%), and 9 (1.9%) patients, respectively. Of 464 patients, 418 (90.1%) had abnormal epidural fluid collection, 404 (87.1%) patients had ventral epidural fluid collection, 393 (84.7%) patients had dorsal epidural fluid collection, and 10 patients had epidural hematoma as per immediate postoperative MRI. According to the 24-hour follow-up MRI findings, 30 patients had epidural fluid collection; the epidural fluid collection in 28 patients (93.3%) resolved with time, and a minimal amount of fluid remained in 2 patients, but the lesion size decreased compared with that on the previous day. CONCLUSIONS: Epidural fluid collection usually occurs after percutaneous endoscopic discectomy, which is mainly due to saline accumulation and typically resolves with time, without treatment or complications.

Thromboembolic complication following neurointervention in ruptured anomalous hyperplastic anterior choroidal artery aneurysm.

The anterior choroidal artery (AchA) is an important cerebral artery despite its small diameter and relatively short course, because it provides blood supply to several important structures. Hyperplastic AchA is an extremely rare anomaly, and its clinical significance is the increased occurrence of intracranial aneurysm formation compared with an ordinary AchA. Because it has many small choroidal branches, subtle injury to the artery may result in severe complications. We describe a patient with a ruptured aneurysm in anomalous hyperplastic AchA, who developed an acute internal capsule infarction after coil embolization in spite of saving the parent artery.

Head Injury by Pneumatic Nail Gun: A Case Report.

A 56-year-old man had five nail gun-shots on his skull due to attempted suicide and was transferred to the emergency room. Because the nail head played a role as a brake, the launched nail made a hole in the skull but did not entirely pass through it. If major artery or sinuses are not involved, cautious retrieval after a small scalp incision can be performed and prophylactic antibiotics be administered for treatment.

Adjacent segment disease after interbody fusion and pedicle screw fixations for isolated L4-L5 spondylolisthesis: a minimum five-year follow-up.

STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective study. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study are (1) to analyze prevalence of clinical and radiologic adjacent segment diseases (ASD), (2) to find precipitating factor of clinical ASD in each isthmic and degenerative spondylolisthesis groups, and (3) to compare clinical and radiologic change in isthmic and degenerative spondylolisthesis. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: There is no clinical report regarding the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for evaluating ASD in patient who underwent 360° fusion with single-level spondylolisthesis with healthy adjacent segment. METHODS: A total of 69 patients who underwent instrumented single-level interbody fusion at the L4-L5 level and showed no definitive degenerated disc in adjacent segments on preoperative MRI and plain radiographs were evaluated at more than 5 years after surgery. The patients were divided into 2 groups: group I was isthmic spondylolisthesis patients and group II was degenerative spondylolisthesis patients. The radiologic ASD was diagnosed by plain radiographs and MRI. Clinical ASD is defined as symptomatic spinal stenosis, intractable back pain, and subsequent sagittal or coronal imbalance with accompanying radiographic changes. Symptomatic spinal stenosis was defined as stenosis diagnosed by MRI and combined with neurologic claudication. RESULTS: The prevalence of radiologic ASD on group I and group II was 72.7% and 84.0%, respectively. About 7 (15.9%) patients showed clinical ASD in group I and 6 (24.0%) patients showed clinical ASD in group II. MRI showed significant reliability for diagnosis of clinical ASD. Compared with patients with asymptomatic ASD, patients with clinical ASD showed significantly less postoperative lordotic angle at the L4-L5 level (i.e., less than 20°) in both groups. CONCLUSION: Maintaining postoperative L4-L5 segmental lordotic angle at about 20° or more is important for prevention of clinical ASD in single-level 360° fusion operation. MRI is reliable method for diagnosing clinical ASD.

Radiological findings of spinal schwannomas and meningiomas: focus on discrimination of two disease entities.

This study evaluates the effectiveness of CT and MR imaging in differentiating intradural extramedullary spinal schwannomas and meningiomas in a large group of patients. In addition, the study correlates tumour location, morphologic characteristics and enhancement pattern. From January 2000 to June 2007, we retrospectively reviewed 128 consecutive patients (51 male, 77 female; mean age at admission 53.8 years; range 17-83 years) with spinal intradural extramedullary tumours (92 schwannomas, 36 meningiomas) at our institution. Fifty-one of ninety-two schwannomas (55.4%) showed fluid signal intensity on T2-weighted MR images. Twenty-two of thirty-six meningiomas (61.1%) showed hyperintense signal intensity and thirteen of thirty-six meningiomas (36.1%) showed isointense signal on T2-weighted MR images. Fifty-four schwannomas (58.7%) showed rim enhancement and thirty-three meningiomas (91.7%) showed diffuse enhancement on contrast-enhanced T1-weighted MR imaging. Twenty-one meningiomas (58.3%) showed dural tail sign in contrast-enhanced T1-weighted MR imaging. Twenty-one meningiomas (58.3%) showed calcification on CT images. MR and CT imaging results are therefore useful for the differentiation of schwannomas from meningiomas of the spine.

Evidence for rat organic anion transporter 3 association with caveolin-1 in rat kidney.

The rat organic anion transporter 3 (rOAT3) has recently been identified as the third isoform of the OAT family. The mechanisms that regulate rOAT3's functions remain to be elucidated. rOAT3 contributes for moving a number of negatively charged organic compounds between cells and their extracellular milieu. Caveolin (Cav) also plays a role as a membrane transporter. To address the relationship of these two proteins, we investigated the protein-protein interaction between rOAT3 and Cav-1. The rOAT3 mRNA and protein expression were observed in the rat kidney, and the expressions of Cav-1 mRNA and protein were also detected in the kidney. Confocal microscopy of the immuno-cytochemistry experiments using primary cultured renal proximal tubular cells showed that rOAT3 and Cav-1 were co-localized at the plasma membrane. This finding was confirmed by Western blot analysis using isolated caveolae-enriched membrane fractions from the rat kidney and immuno-precipitation experimentation. When rOAT3's synthesized cRNA of rOAT3 along with the antisense oligo deoxynucleotide ofXenopusCav-1 were co-injected intoXenopusoocytes, the [(3)H] estrone sulfate uptake was significantly decreased. These findings suggest that rOAT3 and caveolin-1 share a cellular expression in the plasma membrane and Cav-1 up-regulates the organic anionic compound uptake via rOAT3 under normal physiological conditions.