• 한국방사선학회논문지
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• 제13권7호
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• pp.1035-1043
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• 2019

본 연구의 목적은 1.5 T와 3.0 T 비 인두 MRI 검사 후 SNR과 CNR을 평가하여 최적의 Tesla를 알아보고자 하였다. 총 30명의 PACS로 전송된 Nasopharynx MRI검사 환자를 무작위로 선택하여 본 연구에 적용하였다. 데이터 분석에 사용된 장비로는 1.5 T, 3.0 T MRI 장비를 이용하였다. 분석 방법으로 T1 WI과 T1 지방소거 영상에서 각 Tongue, Spinal Cord, Masseter Muscle, Fat, Parotid Gland, Tumor의 조직에 대하여 일정한 관심영역을 설정하고 SNR와 CNR을 평가하였다. 6가지의 조직에 대하여 정량적 분석으로 SNR과 CNR을 평가하였고, 정성적 분석으로 균일한 지방소거, 자화 감수성 인공물에 대한 영상의 질을 4점 척도로 측정하였다. 본 데이터 분석의 통계적 유의성은 독립표본 T검증과 Wilcoxon Signed Ranks사용하였으며, p 값이 0.05이하일 때 유의성을 두었다. 본 실험에 대한 정량적 평가 결과 T1 WI 과 T1 지방소거를 1.5 T와 3.0 T를 비교했을 때 T1 WI에 대한 3.0 T가 평균 SNR(124.75±), CNR(118.91±)로 정량적 분석에서 SNR과 CNR값이 1.5 T평균 SNR(73.15±), CNR(60.59±)에 비해 높게 나타났다. 또한 T1 지방소거에서 3.0 T가 평균 SNR(101.10±), CNR(81.24±)로 1.5 T의 평균 SNR(78.47±), CNR(65.70±)에 비해 높게 나타났다. 정성적 분석으로 균일한 지방소거, 자화 감수성 인공물에 대하여 4등급으로 평가했을 때 1.5 T 장비가 높은 점수를 얻었다(p<0.05). 결론적으로 두 기기에 대한 데이터 분석 결과 정량적 평가부분 에서는 3.0 T 장비가 높게 나타났고 정성적 평가 부분에서는 1.5 T가 높게 나타났다. 따라서 각 장비에 대한 장단점을 고려할 때 상호보완적으로 장비를 선택하여 환자에게 적용한다면 최적의 정보를 제공할 것이라고 사료된다.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• 제35권1호
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• pp.130-134
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• 2018

Heterotopic ossification (HO) around the hip joint is not uncommon following neurological injury. Often, surgical treatment is performed in patients with restricted motion and/or refractory pain due to grade III or IV HO according to Brooker classification. The major complication that occurs as a result of surgical HO removal is perioperative bleeding due to hyper-vascularization of the lesion. Here, we report a case of preoperative embolization in a 51-year-old male patient presenting with restricted bilateral hip range of motion (ROM) due to HO following a spinal cord injury. In the right hip without preoperative arterial embolization, massive bleeding occurred during surgical removal of HO. Thus, the patient received a transfusion postoperatively due to decreased serum hemoglobin levels. For surgery of the left hip, preoperative embolization of the arteries supplying HO was performed. Surgical treatment was completed without bleeding complications, and the patient recovered without a postoperative transfusion. This case highlights that, while completing surgical removal for ROM improvements, orthopedic surgeons should consider preoperative arterial embolization in patients with hip HO.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제60권5호
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• pp.597-603
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• 2017

Objective : Several surgical methods have been reported for treatment of ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) in the thoracic spine. Despite rapid innovation of instruments and techniques for spinal surgery, the postoperative outcomes are not always favorable. This article reports a minimally invasive anterior decompression technique without instrumented fusion, which was modified from the conventional procedure. The authors present 2 cases of huge beak-type OPLL. Patients underwent minimally invasive anterior decompression without fusion. This method created a space on the ventral side of the OPLL without violating global thoracic spinal stability. Via this space, the OPLL and anterior lateral side of the dural sac can be seen and manipulated directly. Then, total removal of the OPLL was accomplished. No orthosis was needed. In this article, we share our key technique and concepts for treatment of huge thoracic OPLL. Methods : Case 1. 51-year-old female was referred to our hospital with right lower limb radiating pain and paresis. Thoracic OPLL at T6-7 had been identified at our hospital, and conservative treatment had been tried without success. Case 2. This 54-year-old female with a 6-month history of progressive gait disturbance and bilateral lower extremity radiating pain (right>left) was admitted to our institute. She also had hypoesthesia in both lower legs. Her symptoms had been gradually progressing. Computed tomography scans showed massive OPLL at the T9-10 level. Magnetic resonance imaging of the thoracolumbar spine demonstrated ventral bony masses with severe anterior compression of the spinal cord at the same level. Results : We used this surgical method in 2 patients with a huge beaked-type OPLL in the thoracic level. Complete removal of the OPLL via anterior decompression without instrumented fusion was accomplished. The 1st case had no intraoperative or postoperative complications, and the 2nd case had 1 intraoperative complication (dural tear) and no postoperative complications. There were no residual symptoms of the lower extremities. Conclusion : This surgical technique allows the surgeon to safely and effectively perform minimally invasive anterior decompression without instrumented fusion via a transthoracic approach for thoracic OPLL. It can be applied at the mid and lower level of the thoracic spine and could become a standard procedure for treatment of huge beak-type thoracic OPLL.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제30권11호
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• pp.1332-1335
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• 2001

Acase of malignant schwannoma in the cervico-thoracic region with lung metastasis is presented. The patient was 55-year-old man presented with right arm weakness. Magnetic resonance image demonstrated lobulated enhancing soft tissue masses in spinal canal, neural foramen and right paraspinal space at C7-T1 level compressing the dural sac and spinal cord. Subtotal removal was performed and histological diagnosis of malignant schwannoma was made. Reoperation due to recurrence was done but subsequent metastasis to lung was observed.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• 제25권2호
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• pp.57-62
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• 2012

Gunshot wounds are rare in Korea, but they have tended to increase recently. We experienced an interesting case of penetrating gunshot injuries to the cervical spine with migration the fragments of the bullet within the dural sac of the cervical spine, so discuss the pathomechanics, treatment and complications of gunshot wounds to the spine and present a review of the literature. A 38-year-old man who had tried to commit suicide with a gun was admitted to our hospital with a penetrating injury to the anterior neck. the patient had quadriplegia. A Computed tomography (CT) scan and 3-dimensional CT of the spine showed destruction of the left lateral mass and lamina of the 5th cervical vertebra; the bullet and fragments were found at the level of the 5th cervical vertebra. The posterior approach was done. A total laminectomy and removal of the lateral mass of the 5th cervical vertebrae were performed, and bone fragments and pellets were removed from the spinal canal, but an intradurally retained pellets were not totally removed. A dural laceration was noted intraoperatively, and CSF leakage was observed, so dura repair was done watertightly with prolene 6-0. The dura repair site was covered with fibrin glue and Tachocomb$^{(R)}$. Immediately, a lumbar drain was done. Radiographs included a postoperative CT scan and X-rays. The postoperative neurological status of the patient was improved compared with the preoperative neurological status. however, the patients developed symptoms of menigitis. He received lumbar drainage(200~250 cc/day) and ventilator care. After two weeks, panperitonitis due to duodenal ulcer perforation was identified. Finally, the patient died because of sepsis.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제29권3호
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• pp.411-419
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• 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.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제29권1호
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• pp.23-28
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• 2016

Background: Sacral nerve stimulation is a therapeutic option with demonstrated efficacy for conditions presenting with perineal pain caused by different etiologies. We aimed to assess whether a sacral electrode ($Interstim^{(R)}$, Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN, USA) inserted through the caudal pathway is able to offer an acceptable level of sacral stimulation and rate of catheter migration. Methods: We present 12 patients with pelvic pain who received sacral neuromodulation via the sacral hiatus with the InterStim electrode. We evaluated patient satisfaction as well as migration and removal of the electrode, if necessary. Results: Our experience included 12 patients, 10 women and two men, with a mean age of 60 years. In eight of the 12 patients, the initial therapy was effective, and the final system implantation was performed. During subsequent follow-up, patient satisfaction was good. To date, there have been no cases of electrode displacement or migration. Conclusions: The caudal insertion of the InterStim electrode, with its own fixation system, and initially designed for transsacral insertion, appears in our experience to be a satisfactory option which can minimize electrode displacements, achieving similar results in therapeutic efficacy and causing no difficulties in removal.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제18권2호
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• pp.255-258
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• 2005

Many patients with intractable chest pain visit pain clinics, two of which, with rare cases of an intraspinal tumor and malignant mesothelioma were experiences at our clinic. A 37-year old female patient presented with exacerbating chest pain, but without neurological manifestations, of 15-months duration. Her laboratory findings, such as blood tests, chest X-ray, EKG, abdominal ultrasonography and chest CT, were normal. MRI revealed an intradural extramedullary schwannoma at the T 5 and 6 levels of the thoracic spine. She completely recovered following a laminectomy, with removal of the tumor. The other case was a 65-year old male patient, who presented with chest and back pain in the thoracic area of 6 months duration. He had no cough and dyspnea, and was initially misdiagnosed with intercostal neuralgia; therefore, pain control medication was administered, but all trials were ineffective. Finally, chest CT revealed a malignant mesothelioma, with multiple spine metastases. In conclusion, patients with intractable chest pain should be re-examined both clinically and radiographically.

• 한국환경농학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국환경농학회 2009년도 정기총회 및 국제심포지엄
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• pp.273-282
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• 2009

The transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) disease group are fatal neurodegenerative disorders affecting a wide range of hosts. The group includes kuru and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) in humans, scrapie in sheep and goats and Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle. The exact nature of the infectious agent involved in the transmission of these diseases remains controversial. However, a central event in their pathogenesis is the accumulation in infected tissues of an abnormal form of a host-encoded protein, the prion protein (PrP). Whereas the normal cellular protein is fully sensitive to protease ($PrP^{sen}$), the disease-associated prion protein ($PrP^d$) is only partly degraded ($PrP^{res}$), its amino-terminal end being removed. BSE was first reported in the mid-80s in the UK. Ten years later, a new form of human prion disease, variant CJD (vCJD) developed in the wake of the BSE epidemic, and there is now strong scientific evidence that vCJD was initiated by the exposure of humans to BSE-infected tissues, thus indicating a zoonotic disease. However, the ban on the feeding of animal-derived proteins to ruminants, and the apparent lack of vertical transmission of BSE, have led to a decline in the incidence of the disease within cattle herd and therefore, an assumed decreased risk for human contacting vCJD. The origin of the original case(s) of BSE still remains an enigma even though three hypotheses have been raised. Hypotheses are i) sheep- or goat-derived scrapie-infected tissues included in meat and bone meal fed to cattle, ii) a previously undetected sporadic or genetic bovine TSE contaminating cattle feed or iii) originating from a human TSE through animal feed contaminated with human remains. A host cellular membrane protein ($PrP^C$), which is abundant in central nervous system tissue, appear to be conformationally altered in the diseased host into a prion protein ($PrP^{Sc}$). This $PrP^{Sc}$ is detergent insoluble and partially protease-resistant ($PrP^{res}$). The term $PrP^{res}$ is normally used to describe the protein detected after protease treatment, in techniques such as Western immunoblotting, and enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay using fresh/frozen tissue. Immunohistochemistry may performed with formalin-fixed tissues. Also, clinical signs of the BSE are one of the major diagnostic indicators. Recently, atypical forms (known as H- and L-type) of BSE have appeared in several European countries, Japan, Canada and the United States. An unusual case was also reported in a miniature zebu. The atypical BSE fall into two groups based on the relative molecular mass (Mm) of the unglycosylated $PrP^{res}$ band relative to that of classical BSE, one of the higher Mm (H-type) and the other lower (L-type). Both types have been detected worldwide as rare cases in older animals, at a low prevalence consistent with the possibility of sporadic forms of prion diseases in cattle. This raises the unwelcome possibility that vCJD could increase in the human population. Now, active surveillance program against BSE is going on in Korea. In regional veterinary service lab, ELISA is applied to screen the BSE in slaughter and confirmatory tests by Western immunoblotting and immunohistochemisty are carried out if there are positive or suspect in the screening test. Also, the ruminant feed ban is rigorously enforced. Removal of specified risk materials such as brain and spinal cord from cattle is mandatory process at slaughter to prevent the infected material from entering the human food chain.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• 제20권2호
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• pp.165-171
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• 2002

목적 : 척수에 전이가 가능한 뇌종양 치료를 위한 두개척수 방사선치료 시 복와위가 불가능한 경우 전산화단층촬영모의치료장치(volumetric spiral CT)와 가상모의 치료기(virtual simulator) 및 3차원 방사선치료계획장치를 이용하여 배와위로 두개척수 방사선치료계획 방법을 개발하고 기하학적 검증을 통하여 유용성을 고찰하고자 하였다. 대상 및 방법 : 2005년 5월에서 2001년 12월까지 연세암센터 방사선종양학과에서 배와위로 두개척수 방사선치료를 받은 환자 9명을 대상으로 하였다. 복와위가 불가능한 중증의 뇌종양 환자를 배와위로 하여 두경부는 두부고정틀 (thermoplastic mast $Aquaplast^{circledR}$) 로 고정시키고, 전신은 $Vac-Loc^{\circledR}$ (전성물산, 한국)으로 고정한 후 전산화단층촬영모의치료장치를 이용하여 전신체적영상(volumetric image)을 얻었다. 환자 자세의 재현성 확인 및 검증을 위해 두부에 세 개의 점과 전신에 기준선 및 기준점 등을 표시하였다. 이후 가상현실 영상(virtual fluoroscopy)에서 인체의 크기와 방향에 제약이 없고 치료 침대와 고정기구에 대한 시각장애를 제거함으로써 자유롭게 모의치료를 할 수 있었으며, 조사면과 빔을 결정하고 디지털화재구성사진(digitally reconstructed radiography, DRR)과 디지털화합성사진(digitally composited radiography, DCR)을 통하여 분해능이 좋은 화질의 투시 및 모의치료영상을 획득하였다. 기하학적 검증은 치료중심점 이동시 얻은 모의치료영상과 첫 치료 시에 얻은 조사면 검증 사진(port verification film) 등을 전산화단층촬영영상으로부터 재구성한 DRR 영상과 시각적, 정량적으로 비교, 분석하였다. 결과 : 전산화단층촬영모의치료장치와 가상모의치료기 및 3차원 방사선치료계획 장치 등을 이용하여 복와위가 불가능한 환자의 두개척수 방사선 치료계획을 배와위로 원활히 수행할 수 있었다. 가상현실영상에서 대부분의 설계작업이 이루어지므로 환자의 자세고정을 요하는 시간은 전신체적 영상을 얻는 10분 이내이므로 환자의 불편을 줄일 수 있을 뿐 아니라 모의치료과정 중의 체위 변동 변수를 제거할 수 있었다. 또한 전산화단층촬영영상을 얻음으로써 중요정상조직인 안구, 척수 등을 정확하게 설정할 수 있었고, 조사면 결정과 차폐의 정확성을 증진시킬 수 있었다. 환자 자세 오차는 디지털화재구성사진과 치료 시마다 얻은 포트필름에서 치료중심점과 척수 사이의 거리를 측정하여 3 mm 이내의 정확성을 얻을 수 있었다. 결론 : 전산화단층촬영모의치료장치로 체적영상을 얻고 가상현실모의치료계획으로 배와위 두개척수 방사선치료계획을 정확하고 용이하게 실현할 수 있었다. 따라서 배와위 두개척수 방사선치료는 복와위를 취할 수 없어서 치료가 힘든 소아환자, 전신상태가 좋지 않거나 기관절개술이 시행되어 있는 환자에서 유용한 방법임을 알 수 있었다.