• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• v.44 no.5
• /
• pp.285-294
• /
• 2008

Objective: Jugular foramen schwannomas are uncommon pathological conditions. This article is constituted for screening these tumors in a wide perspective. Materials: One-hundred-and-ninty-nine patients published in 19 articles between 1984 to 2007 years was collected from Medline/Index Medicus. Results: The series consist of 83 male and 98 female. The mean age of 199 operated patients was 40.4 years. The lesion located on the right side in 32 patients and on the left side in 60 patients. The most common presenting clinical symptoms were hearing loss, tinnitus, disphagia, ataxia, and hoarseness. Complete tumor removal was achieved in 159 patients. In fourteen patients tumor reappeared unexpectedly. The tumor was thought to originate from the glossopharyngeal nerve in forty seven cases; vagal nerve in twenty six cases; and cranial accessory nerve in eleven cases. The most common postoperative complications were lower cranial nerve palsy and facial nerve palsy. Cerebrospinal fluid leakage, meningitis, aspiration pneumonia and mastoiditis were seen as other complications. Conclusion: This review shows that jugular foramen schwannomas still have prominently high morbidity and those complications caused by postoperative lower cranial nerve injury are life threat.

• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
• /
• v.4 no.1
• /
• pp.74-77
• /
• 2002

Collet-Sicard Syndrome is one of the variant of the jugular foramen syndromes in which the last four cranial nerves are involved whereas the sympathetic plexus is spared. The possible causes of these multiple lower cranial nerve palsy are variable, including metastasis of systemic malignancy to the base of skull, primary tumor of head and neck, vascular complication, trauma and so on. We experienced two men visited to our clinic with symptoms of headache, hoarsness, swallowing difficulty and showed the evidence of cranial nerve palsy on neurologic examination. Magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography demonstrated oropharyngeal and hypopharyngeal tumor and electrodiagnostic study supported the diagnosis.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• v.53 no.6
• /
• pp.364-367
• /
• 2013

Microvascular decompression is a very effective and relatively safe surgical modality in the treatment of hemifacial spasm. But rare debilitating complications have been reported such as cranial nerve dysfunctions. We have experienced a very rare case of unilateral soft palate palsy without the involvement of vocal cord following microvascular decompression. A 33-year-old female presented to our out-patient clinic with a history of left hemifacial spasm for 5 years. On postoperative 5th day, patient started to exhibit hoarsness with swallowing difficulty. Symptoms persisted despite rehabilitation. Various laboratory work up with magnetic resonance image showed no abnormal lesions. Two years after surgery patient showed complete recovery of unitaleral soft palate palsy. Various etiologies of unilateral soft palate palsy are reviewed as the treatment and prognosis differs greatly on the cause. Although rare, it is important to keep in mind that such complication could occur after microvascular decompression.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• v.48 no.2
• /
• pp.181-184
• /
• 2010

A case of idiopathic hypertrophic cranial pachymeningitis (IHCP) misdiagnosed as an acute subdural hematoma is reported. A 37-year-old male patient presented with headache following head trauma 2 weeks earlier. Computerized tomography showed a diffuse high-density lesion along the left tentorium and falx cerebri. Initial chest X-rays revealed a small mass in the right upper lobe with right lower pleural thickening, which suggested lung cancer, such as an adenoma or mediastinal metastasis. During conservative treatment under the diagnosis of a subdural hematoma, left cranial nerve palsies were developed (3rd and 6th), followed by scleritis and uveitis involving both eyes. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed an unusual tentorium-falx enhancement on gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted images. Non-specific chronic inflammation of the pachymeninges was noticed on histopathologic examination following an open biopsy. Systemic steroid treatment was initiated, resulting in dramatic improvement of symptoms. A follow-up brain MRI showed total resolution of the lesion 2 months after steroid treatment. IHCP should be included in the differential diagnosis of subtentorial-enhancing lesions.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
• /
• v.28 no.1 s.69
• /
• pp.126-136
• /
• 2007

Objectives : Bell's palsy in an acute peripheral facial nerve paralysis that usually affects only one side of the face. The seventh cranial nerve carries predominantly motor fibers, but also supplies some autonomic innervation, sensation to park of the ear, and taste to the anterior two thirds of the tongue. The aim of this study is to provide evidence of differences between facial skin temperature of the paralyzed side and normal side in Bell's palsy patients. Methods : the author studied 68 patients with Bell's palsy whose facial nerve function had been documented by the House-Brackmann grading system. We measured skin temperature of the forehead, zygoma, lower lip, temple and lower jaw area of the paralyzed side and those of the normal side. Results : there were significant facial skin temperature differences between the forehead area of paralyzed side and that of normal side of GrII(P<0.05) and III(P<0.05). The result also showed that the facial skin temperature difference according to the aflection period vanished when air temperature was calibrated (F=1.700, P=0.178). Conclusions : Thermography is a useful diagnostic tool in Bell's palsy if the air temperature is low enough to cool the facial skin temperature and the forehead area is evaluated as the sampling zone.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
• /
• v.29 no.3
• /
• pp.139-148
• /
• 2012

Objectives : The purpose of this case is to report the improvement of two patients diagnosed with eight and a half syndrome after combination therapy of oriental and western medicine. Methods : We treated the patients with combination therapy of oriental and western medicine such as acupuncture, moxibustion, herbal medication, antithrombotic agents and steroid therapy. Changes of peripheral facial paralysis were evaluated using House-Brackmann facial grading system and the degree of dizziness, tenderness and pain of upper abdomen were assessed using numerous rating scale. Changes in motor grade of upper and lower extremities were evaluated using medical research council scale. Results : We have recently experienced two cases of eight and a half syndrome - a syndrome characterized by the coexistence of one and a half syndrome, a rare ophthalmoparetic syndrome characterized by a conjugate horizontal gaze palsy in one direction and an internuclear ophthalmoplegia in the other, and cranial nerve VII palsy. The one and a half syndrome was caused by acute cerebral infarction. Two patients in this report were improved through combination therapy of oriental and western medicine. Conclusions : We report the clinical course and treatment methods of eight and a half syndrome.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• v.48 no.3
• /
• pp.199-206
• /
• 2010

Objective : 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. Methods : Between January 2004 and April 2008, 22 patients with 24 paraclinoid aneurysms underwent microsurgical direct clipping by a cerebrovascular team at a regional neurosurgical center. Microsurgery was performed via an ipsilateral pterional approach with extradural anterior clinoidectomy. We retrospectively reviewed patients' medical charts, office records, radiographic studies, and operative records. Results : In our series, the clinical outcomes after an ipsilateral pterional approach with extradural anterior clinoidectomy for paraclinoid aneurysms were excellent or good (Glasgows Outcome Scale : GOS 5 or 4) in 87.5% of cases. The microsurgical complications related directly to the extradural anterior clinoidectomy included transient cranial nerve palsy (6), cerebrospinal fluid leak (1), worsened change in vision (1), unplanned ICA occlusion (1), and epidural hematoma (1). Only one of the complications resulted in permanent morbidity (4.2%), and none resulted in death. Conclusion : 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.